Love Saves

“You know you’re in love when you can’t fall asleep because reality is finally better than your dreams.”

– Dr. Seuss

When I think of Love…My favorite quote from the legendary Maya Angelou comes to mind: “Love recognizes no barriers, it jumps hurdles, leaps, fences, penetrates walls to arrive at its destination full of hope.” And believe me, I think a lot about Love! By those that know me well, I am referred to as “The Hopeless Romantic! But in all honesty, I believe that I am just hopeful because I strongly believe in the power of Love. So strong is my belief in the power of Love that I either watch a love story based movie or I read about it every single week.
This week reflecting on my favorite love stories, I remembered the award-winning movie, “The Titanic” starring Kate Winslet and Leonardo Di Caprio. In one word, I truly found this love story absolutely mesmerizing, so much so that I must have watched at least a good 30 times! The love story of Rose and captured my heart and inspires me to think of all the reasons that love still matters! However, it wasn’t until this week that I truly realized why I love this movie like I do, and that is because it reminds me that Love saves! Yes, it does! And I believe it saves us all!

In the movie Titanic, there is an unforgettable scene when Rose meets Jack for the first, hanging from the back of the ship. Rose is seen frantically running through the boat until she reaches the end, with tears and desperation, she concludes that this too is the end of her life! She believes that there is no other way out for her, but to simply leave this world! Rose is convinced that no one cares, that is ultimately invisible and that she is truly alone! Yet, just in that perfect moment, suddenly appears Jack Dawson to save her! Amazingly, he is the only one present on that side of the ship laying on a bench looking up at the stars, until he is startled by the sound of Rose running and crying through the dock! He both sees and hears the astoundingly, beautiful young woman! Jack approaches Rose with caution, fearful that she just might jump off the ship into the deep ocean. He immediately realizes that the lovely, rich, and classy girl has come to the end of herself, but only he can help her! Jack reads her emptiness and the lack of Love in her life.

Have you ever felt like that? You look inside of yourself, and there’s no purpose or reason to live? You wake up one day, and you can’t even breathe, so you begin to run…and you run! Well, and yes, you run from your life, from the people around, but most of all—From Yourself! Indeed, I know that I have in my own life! Undoubtedly, I have been in moments that seem endless and that I genuinely believe that my heart will never go on! Yet, these were the moments where I also saw God appear the most in my life. These experiences taught me that God both sees and hears what no one else can, and that is able to love me in my brokenness, and I feel like absolutely no one.

The Bible tells us in 1 John 4:7-21 that God is Love and that we are called to Love if we know God, because He loved us first through His Son Jesus. Love is powerful and in many ways like God cannot be reasoned or put into words. God’s Love transforms us, changes us, draws us close, and can even interrupt us! There is no mistake in Love it just exists, and gives us the strength we need.
So again, we see this power of Love in “The Titanic,” when Jack comes to Rose’s rescue and interrupts her plan to just end it all. He did not make his presence to Rose optional, in that dramatic scene, he says to Rose, “I am sorry, I am involved now, and if you jump, I am going to have to jump in the water and get you!” In other words, I am in this problem with you, and I am definitely not leaving you. I will do everything I must do to save you! Until Jack convinces Rose to receive his hand and turn around to simply look right into his eyes. The eyes that reflect the Love and hope that she so desperately needed in her life. These are the same eyes that mark her soul, and she remembers them until the moment at hat she takes her last breath into heaven. But as with most turns around in life, it was not that simple, Rose is caught, loses her balance and slips off, only held by Jack’s hand. She is convinced that she will die! Yet, Jack knows differently and calls her, saying, “Look at me, Rose! I got you! I won’t let go! His reassuring eyes that say, I can save you and bring you to safety.
I think just like Rose, we all need a Savior that gets us back on the ship. God’s Love is also that strong for us! He loves us and saves us right where we are! God runs to find us and jumps after us just to get us back to safety! The eyes of Jesus looking back at me have given me a fresh start so many times, and His Love has even saved me from myself at times! God’s Holy Spirit has definitely come to my rescue, also when much like Rose, I would just say go away and leave me alone! I do not understand it most of the time, but somehow, Jesus always shows up and just stays with me until I finally decide to look into His eyes and accept His Mighty Hand!

In the movie’s love story, we know that Jack’s Love transformed Rose’s life so much that he died so she could live and gave her a new last name by the end of the story. Rose expresses these wonderful words: “Jack saved me in all the ways a person can be saved, and she realized the power of Love helped her to find herself so that her heart could go on! We know that she was only able to keep Jack in her memories and in her heart, but through it all, he was there with her as she lived her life.

This is an example of God’s powerful Love in our own lives because we cannot see Him, but His Love is always there! God always remains even when our own lives disappear with time. You may be asking yourself, well asking yourself, and how exactly does Jesus show up in my life? The answer is simply this, look at into the eyes of the individuals that just suddenly walk into your life when you are at your worst in life. Or maybe, those you ask to go away or you run away from because they look different or sound different than you? Can you see the Jack in your life? Ready to Jump, Ready to Listen, and Ready to Love you no matter what! Our own Jack’s teach us and lead us to discover, know, and live out God’s amazing and endless Love that sacrifices everything and never leaves us until we return home! With Love, Lisa Camacho

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