The unpredictable joys of married life are sometimes found in the petite smile Sarah gives me. She kinda scrunches her neck, shoulders slightly more tense and upward than normal. Her thin eyebrows inch themselves up synchronized with the movement of her shoulders. With her deep hazel-blue-green eyes, and the ends of her closed mouth perched, I can't help but laugh within myself because its the same look every time.

It's the look she's gives me after she tells me she forgot her purse in the car or her iPad. When its the iPad she usually remembers right before bed because its the time when she plugs it in to charge for the next day of work. By then, though, my socks are off, and I am ready for bed. But, I can't make her go get it.

It's not that she means to leave things behind, or forget her keys, or take my keys when hers are hidden within the black hole of a purse she has leaving me with no keys. She really does try. I know she does. And I think her dad would agree with me that for 22 years she has made an effort to try, but in the midst of her effort, it's just the way she is.

Yes, there are times when I get tired of getting the iPad from the cold car or whatever. But when that smile comes that says... "Honey... I love you, and I'm just too cute, and I'm your wife." I can't help but fall more in love with her. As I walk down those long stairs, ducking through the cobweb filled basement, to the rugged outside, I break the icicles off the car door handles to tug the frozen shut door just to get the iPad. Then trekking through the cobweb jungle back up to our cozy home, I return with the iPad (no exaggeration was needed to describe my journey). It's just that look; it gets me every time.

What made me think of this was Psalm 40:11-13.

Do not withhold your mercy from me, Lord; may your love and faithfulness always protect me. For troubles without number surround me; my sins have overtaken me, and I cannot see. They are more than the hairs of my head, and my heart fails within me. Be pleased to save me, Lord; come quickly, Lord, to help me. (Psalm 40:11-13 NIV)

As you can see, Sarah and I's marriage is very similar to David's relationship with The Lord. She is indebted to me forever! No really, but in all seriousness, David's offenses against The Lord were many. He even says it himself, they are apparently more than the hairs on his head. But David never doubted that looking toward The Lord would save him. He looked up to heaven, with the look on his face and said, "Be pleased to save me, Lord; come quickly, Lord, to help me."

Now I don't know if The Lord would use the word "cute" to describe us, but the little ounce of delight I have for Sarah in moments where I could get frustrated, I know is divine emotion worked within me, and God feels it on a much grander scale. God delights when we come to him. David knew that, and it caused him to have confidence when coming before God. Those moments of extending mercy are golden moments for God. If God had a full steel tank that contained his emotion for delight, it would burst in those moments.

God loves extending mercy to us. I think it's one of His favorite things to do. We have no reason to hide ourselves from God, because, friends, He is overjoyed to give us mercy.

Disclaimer: While parts of this analogy are effective, I by no means am trying to communicate that Sarah sins against me when she forgets things. She also has approved this post.