Can't Hurry Love

When they talk about Beauty and the Beast I thought about how I often think about people that are "gruff", including myself at times. "Underneath all his gruff exterior, the beast longed to be loved, to be understood." "Belle lives inside me: the girl who wants to be pursued, sought after, swept up, and rescued."
"Jesus takes our hand and guides us through this earthly journey, while all around us are the forces of darkness...'Say what you will, she is My Beloved."
It gave me comfort to hear about Kathy's experience with that song. (Although it was horrible and I hate that she had to go through that.) But it helped me to hear that someone else has followed the voice of God, only to be met with people that one might think would be happy for that abandon and following, but instead thought it was a gray area, or even that the steps that you take to follow God where the wrong ones. "Although it was extremely painful for me, it was one of those times in my life when I was convinced I had done what was pleasing to the Lord. The minute I did what God asked, a weight lifted from me." "Will I trust God even when there is no immediate reward?" Yes I will! "My life is in Your hand. My heart is in Your keepin."
The story of Lazarus really relates to my current situation and I think if you are going through any kind of wilderness you can put yourself into this story and learn something.
If Jesus would have just healed Lazarus it wouldn't have been such a deliverance. We have to tell Him "Lord, the one you love is sick." John 11:3b Jesus said "This sickness will not end in death. No, it is for God's glory so that God's Son may be glorified through it." John 11:4 He didn't say that there wouldn't be death, He just said that the sickness wouldn't end in death. (Roughly remembered:>) John Piper says the Passion for the Supremacy of Christ is that we are most satisfied when God is most glorified.
"I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in me will live, even though he dies; and whoever lives and believes in me will never die. Do you believe this?" John 11:25-26
Our answer and Martha's - "Yes, Lord...I believe that You are the Christ, the Son of God, who was to come into the world." John 11:27
You are my Father, my Bridegroom, my Provider, my Defender, my Deliverer!
"...it is about a love affair with God. In that you will always be fulfilled."