midland is the new paris

Mr. Fantastic texted me.

“I know it’s not Paris, but do you want to go to Midland with me in July?”

Midland, land of oil drills, vast Texas sky, and vaster Texas dirt.  He was inviting me to go to Midland with him on a ministry-related trip.


 I was thrilled.


“I would go anywhere just for the chance to be with you,” I texted back.

So, we are off to Midland.  Blessed and thankful are the only words to describe how I feel about the opportunity.

There was a time when I would have felt a stab at my heart that it wasn’t Paris, or somewhere more romantic and meaningful.  There were days that expensive presents, massively orchestrated date-nights, and once-in-a-lifetime moments were what I hoped for from my husband.  

But then, we started fighting about the silliest things.  He forgot about me for a time as He faced pressure that pulled and weighed on him unlike anything he had faced before.

I hid my heart in Jesus and he threw his into the church.  We both felt incredibly lonely.

Thankfully, Jesus is at the center of our marriage and He slowly pulled our frazzled hearts back together.

There is new depth to our love because of the road behind us.  Running to God when hopelessness washes over you does things in your soul that are difficult to put into words.

Running to God turns a goodbye peck on the cheek into a passionate lovesong written just for you.  Running to God transforms Tuesday Taco night at Rosa’s into a five star dining experience.  Running to God makes Midland seem like Paris.

Running to God shows you how little you deserve and how much you’ve been blessed.

Paris may be the City of Light, but we are called to be a City on a Hill, to be light for those who are lost.

Maybe that is what is so easily forgotten in marriage: we are meant to light the way for one another, and without the light shining from our spouse, we so easily lose our way.

God is light, though, and He can make the night shine so brightly that Midland looks like Paris.

photo by Quinn Smith

So Mr. Fantastic and I will board a plane together and fly to Midland.  Someday, we may go to Paris for real.  But today, we will shine on one another the love that we have received so abundantly.  Today we will be grateful that we have the day to spend together.

Hello, Midland, it’s so nice to see you.