A Cottage in the Woods

One of my favorite pastimes is spending time with my husband. He and I frequently sit on the back porch after the kids have gone to bed. He will generally smoke his pipe while we both sip on wine. Sometimes we sit and just talk, sometimes we talk while playing on our phones, and sometimes we just want to be near each other. On a warm night we are barefoot and casual. On cold nights I love to curl up with a warm jacket or blanket and my boots. Either way it is always fun and much needed.

The other night we pulled out the laptop to look at Pinterest. We will look at all kinds of categories. This particular night we looked up places to travel. We came across this picture of an old cottage settled in the woods. We imagined our own little story with this picture. We imagined we were lost in the forest and came upon this house. We wore tired and hungry. Smoke was pouring from the chimney inviting us to come in. An old couple lived in this cute home. They gave us a warm welcome. The man was short and had white hair with a long beard. He didn't have a mustache. He just had a long beard he would softly pull at while settling in to tell us a story. He sat in  a comfy chair with a wall of books behind him. We sat listening while sipping tea. The woman was plump. She wore an old apron over her dress while she cooked us up a warm stew of some sort. We were warm, comfortable, and enjoying our fellowship and good food with this cute couple. This couple enjoyed each other, loved each other, and made a life out of it.

It was a simple story and we had so much fun making it up together. Putting our imaginations together was a simple way of connecting. One of the best things you can do with your spouse is date. Sometimes we go out alone, sometimes we go out with friends, and sometimes it is spending time at home. This time we took a walk through the forest. Either way, I was with my best friend, lover, and soul mate. God wants us to spend time together. He made us for relationships. Relationships cannot be built and matured if all we do is live in the same house, run our kids where ever they need to be, and just happen to sleep in the same bed. God wants us to enjoy each other, pray together, and love each other.

Song of Songs 1:2-4a  Let him kiss me with the kisses of his mouth- for your love is more delightful than wine. Pleasing is the fragrance of your perfumes; your name is like perfume poured out. No wonder the maidens love you! Take me away with you- let us hurry!