Will You Love Me When I Look Like "This"?

I have the funniest memory of me and my best friend when we were in high school...we were at a girls youth group sleepover and we were being SO goofy. I just remember walking with my butt stick out and flapping my arms and saying "Will you love me when I look like THIS?!" in a very goofy voice RIGHT when my "boyfriend" at the time's mother walked by...she looked at me like I was crazy, and Lauren and I just started laughing soooo hard.

We use to do that all the time. If our hair looked funny or we made a funny face or were talking in a funny way, we would ask each other if you would still love me if I did this or looked like this. Every time  we did it we were being funny, but there's a small truth to it...when people change or become different, they are afraid they won't be loved anymore.

Last night Jake was showing his dad videos and pictures of the truck he wants to get when we come home from Afghanistan, and telling his dad how much it was going to cost. His dad asked him how he'd be able to afford that, and I said "When we get back from the Middle East! He'll have plenty of money" and his dad was like "you're going to get a house, a car, and pay off all your debt?" We assured him that yes, we'd be able to get all that with the money we'll be earning over there. Then his dad said "well...you still gotta come back home and in one piece." I went over to Jake and kissed his cheek and said "yeah, you gotta come back and in one piece" to which he said "you wouldn't love me anymore if I lost an arm?"

It brings me back to "would you love me if I looked like this?" I say with confidence that I will still love Jake if he looses an arm or a leg or both or all! It's not his body I'm in love with, it's his personality and his spirit. I know it wouldn't be easy if either of us was injured like that, but I know that through everything we've experienced our love has been strengthened..and that I will love him "when he looks like this." That's an amazing feeling, to know I will love and be loved no matter what I look like or what the other person looks like. I'm glad that I am not a vain person that can't be friends with people who "aren't attractive," I'm glad that I can love people for who they are. It's a very special gift, and I know that it is because of Jesus that I'm capable of this, and all of that makes me smile.

=]

Love (smile),
Victoria