A Dose Of God 13 - On The Lips Of A Gentle Kiss

Welcome to A Dose of God,

A short-form,

Self-reflective podcast series based on the book,

A Good Dose of God,

Everybody's Best Friend.

The purpose of this series is two-fold.

First,

To enhance and sustain my own resonance with the eternal divine presence in my life.

And second,

To demonstrate how the book's poem,

The ABCs of A Dose of God,

May serve as a framework for others to regularly identify,

Connect with,

And express gratitude for what's good among common occurrences in their lives.

This episode is informed by the verse of the poem representing the letter L.

It's on the lips of a gentle kiss as you say goodnight to your loving spouse.

It includes a brief description of the verse,

A personal reflection demonstrating how the verse has facilitated my own resonance with doses of God in my life,

A statement of gratitude,

And a few guiding questions that may be considered for your own reflection.

Here is a description of the verse.

It's on the lips of a gentle kiss as you say goodnight to your loving spouse.

The joining of lips during a gentle goodnight kiss represents the genuine appreciation that two people have for one another.

As the lips connect,

The couple knows deep within their hearts that they share a magnificent mutual love for each other.

It's greater than a physical sensation.

It's a feeling that touches the soul.

It's a simple gesture that means so much.

Many simple,

Sometimes overlooked gestures can symbolize the true connection of two souls.

Such gestures can include a hug with a friend,

A handshake with a colleague,

Or the exchange of pleasant greetings with a stranger.

Although they may not represent the exact type of love that exists during a goodnight kiss,

They clearly signify a mutual loving respect for one another,

A respect that is made possible through the loving grace of God.

Here is my personal reflection on the verse.

To me,

This verse is about small,

Regular gestures of love being expressed between my wife and me.

Subtly communicating our love toward one another in an ongoing way has gently cultivated a rich,

Appreciative,

Understanding,

Forgiving,

And respectful relationship.

When I initiate a gesture of love toward my wife,

I often feel instant,

Unforced reciprocation of love from her.

When she commences an expression of love toward me,

I feel as though I instantly,

Without thought,

Force,

Or resistance,

Render a signal of love in return.

There is a continuous circuitry of sorts between ourselves that expedites seamless transmission of loving vibes.

There has always been at least somewhat of a loving rhythm between the two of us,

Which is what led us along a path to enter a relationship,

Unite in marriage,

And remain married.

That rhythm has beautifully evolved and exponentially strengthened through our time and experiences together.

We don't always see eye to eye on issues,

However,

And have had our fair share of disagreements and endured other challenges in our relationship over the years.

Fortunately,

We've tended to perceive these types of experiences through optimistic eyes and have interpreted them as relationship-building exercises that strengthen our alliance much more so than seeing them as pernicious perils that would otherwise adversely impact our matrimony.

Much the same as we can appreciate challenges endured by the muscles in our body through physical exercise,

Along with challenges endured by the muscles in our mind through intellectual study,

As opportunities to build physical and intellectual strength,

We can also poise ourselves to appreciate challenges to the muscles of our relationship as opportunities to strengthen our relationship.

The small,

Consistent gestures of love that we consistently exhibit toward one another create a thread of love spanning all moments of our relationship.

One of the ways we project seemingly modest but profoundly impactful expressions of love toward one another on a daily basis is by saying,

I love you,

To each other before we go to sleep every night and when she leaves the house for work every morning.

Sometimes when the phrase is uttered in such a routine way,

It might come across as an inconsequential pleasantry,

But each instance subsumes at least a slight degree of distilled endearment that enhances the robust essence of love that permeates our partnership.

Although we have been able to embed consistent I love you's into our daily life,

I'm not nearly as adept at expressing my deeper feelings toward her on a regular basis.

In response to this weakness of mine,

I have attempted to profess more meticulous expressions of love to my wife through poetic prose on Valentine's Day,

Her birthday,

And or our anniversary.

Here is an example of how I attempted to explain my love to her in a way that extends beyond the often surface level depth of its expression.

This poem was introduced by the preface,

I wish I could tell you everything I feel about you.

I wish you knew what you mean to me.

I wish you knew how much I care.

I wish whenever you needed someone,

You'd know in your heart I would always be there.

I wish you could see how beautiful you are.

When you enter the room and I see your face.

I wish you knew that no matter what,

When I'm with you,

I'm in the right place.

I wish my love would be overflowing,

Blessing you with comfort each day.

I wish you knew how much I love you.

I wish I had the right words to say.

I wish you could feel the joy in my soul when I answer the phone and hear your voice.

I wish you knew how grateful I am that you made me your lifelong choice.

I wish you knew the comfort I feel when you stand along my side.

I wish you knew how happy I am that you agreed to be my bride.

I wish you knew how proud I am that you are my wife and my best friend.

I wish you knew my love for you will be here always and never end.

I wish the best of everything for you for this I hope and endlessly pray.

And at this special moment in time,

I wish for you a happy birthday.

Here are a few additional excerpts of short poems written over the years.

I'm so thankful for your kindness,

Your strength and your heart.

I appreciate your soul,

A divine work of art.

I am grateful for the blessings you've granted as my wife.

I eternally value your presence in my life.

Thank you for your love,

Your support and your cheer.

Thank you so much for this wonderful year.

Happy anniversary Jennifer Rose.

Eighteen years with a whole lot more highs than lows.

My love for you is pure gleefully glows.

I eagerly await where our future goes.

Every nineteen years,

Jenny Rose,

Our boundless bond graciously grows.

Never ends,

Pauses,

Stops or slows.

My love for you forever flows.

I am immeasurably grateful for all the opportunities to exchange small expressions of love with my wife and the collective impact they have on the quality of our lives and will attempt to remain attentive to opportunities for subsequent expressions of loving gestures as our relationship continues.

Here are a few guiding questions to consider that might facilitate your own personal reflection upon the verse.

It's on the lips of a gentle kiss as you say goodnight to your loving spouse.

Take a moment to reflect on times when you have exchanged small expressions of love with someone you care deeply about.

For example,

What are examples of ways in which you exchange small expressions of love with someone you care deeply about?

How do you feel when you give or receive these expressions of love?

In what ways do you express gratitude for these expressions of love in your life?

What strategies could you implement to maintain awareness of and act on opportunities to exchange small expressions of love with someone you care about?

In closing,

When you feel the deep mutual love that exists during a goodnight kiss or any other meaningful gesture of love,

You receive a dose of God.

The next episode in this series will focus on the verse representing the letter M.

A dose of God is in the mirror when you look at yourself and smile.

Thank you so much for listening.

May you consistently position yourself to accept and resonate with the doses of God that are ever presently here for you.

The reflections in this series represent my interpretations of the time they were transcribed and may have been different if they were written at other points in the past or future.

Each episode is intended to be unique,

However multiple iterations of common themes and examples are likely to surface throughout the series.