Hear Joni reflect on being married 42 beautiful years to Ken.
Jesus is the lover of my soul. And so is Ken Tada.
Hi, I’m Joni and when my husband, Ken, and I were dating, one word marked the expression of his love for me and that is excessive. Because I received more candies, stuffed animals, sweetheart cards, vases of yellow roses than I care to remember. I pleaded with this guy to lighten up, but I learned that not only is love blind; it is deaf. Because the next day I would receive pink roses instead of yellow ones. There was more solid evidence of Ken’s love that I could point to, but, well, what can I say; it was the excesses that delighted me. And it’s something I celebrate today on our wedding anniversary – 42 years of Ken and me serving Christ together. And we both love each other for it. After so many years, it’s not about flowers or candies or cards. It is about a hard commitment through some really tough times. And with my disability, Ken and I have experienced those tough times. And as I have watched my husband persevere and hang in there, supporting me despite the demanding sacrifices [I tell you], the more I love him. These past 42 years, I’ve got plenty of solid evidence that Ken Tada loves me.
And we never need to doubt the love of Christ either. We have plenty of solid evidence of his love. But there may be times when we might wonder just how much Jesus delights himself in us. It is true that bearing the Father’s wrath on the cross was the ultimate test of how immense Christ’s love is, [this is going to sound a little odd] but our soul wants to know more. I want to know how passionately, how intensely, he feels about me. Did Jesus desire to come to earth, even when he knew what was going to happen? Or was it a matter of just fulfilling divine duty? When Jesus went to the cross, was his love for us intense and passionate, as he trudged up the hill to calvary? Or was he just following the plan to ensure that our names got in his Book of Life? Is Jesus crazy-in-love with us or is his love a doctrine in a theology textbook?
Well, these questions are answered in blood. There is a word that marks the love of Jesus Christ, and that is – excessive. His love for you overflows all reason, all expectations, all your hopes and dreams. For Jesus to lay down his life for you tells you that his covenant is no schoolboy pledge or head-of-state agreement or legal contract. Christ’s love is riddled with powerful emotion. For him to die for you is for him to be delighted in you. This is the love of God that confounds the world. People whose eyes are closed to spiritual things simply cannot, they do not “get it.” Especially the excessive part. For nothing can separate us; nothing can separate saved sinners and blood-bought rebels; nothing can separate you from the excessive love that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.
First John 4:19 describes it well, for “We love because he first loved us.” It’s what Ken Tada and I are celebrating today on our wedding anniversary. We are delighting in the love we have for Jesus and the warmhearted, happy love we have for each other, all because of the extravagance of Christ’s love for us. Yes, Ken and I have found over the years that Christ’s passion for us stirs our yearnings for him and for one another. What a glorious thing to celebrate tonight on our anniversary. Wow, 42 years! Yes, hard years, but so very happy. And I will not mind if tonight, I receive sweetheart cards, candies, stuffed animals, and roses of whatever color Ken chooses.
© Joni and Friends