Speaking of Love #12

Love cannot endure indifference.  It needs to be wanted.  Like a lamp, it needs to be fed out of the oil of another's heart.

~ Henry Ward Beecher

Compared to our dating relationship, our marriage has been a piece of cake.  I knew that already; but now that I'm going back through some of Jeff's letters, I'm reminded vividly of how much of a crazy, difficult roller coaster we were on in those days.  Long-distance relationships are so challenging!  But not impossible...  ;-)

Jeff wrote...

6:15 AM

1 Sept 96

Sunday

O Davene ~ 

My whole night was ruined because of myself.  I could not sleep, thinking how foolishly I've dealt with you in my last few letters.  O please, Davene, forgive me.  I let the stress and pressures of my life here vent on you.  I wish I could run to the post office and prevent the mail.  I can not.  I have written you wrongly, and dealt harshly; I feel very bad.

I received a letter from you from 27-28 August.  Its words were all so sweet and tender.  (Which just heaped hot coals on my guilty conscience!)  :(

Thank you for joining me in prayer that God make us one.  I crave this.  And I am so happy to see you write this.  I hope you will continue to pray so, even after I've been so pressuring lately.  I am delighted the Lord has been speaking to you, even in the little things.  :)

O Davene, I wish I could call you and make it up to you, I will possibly try, though I think it's futile. ~ I just tried.  I got phone mail...I wonder, will you get it?  Or one of your roommates?

...

As you know very well, I've got a lot of my own plank to get out of my own eye!  O Davene, you know me better than any other, and yet you have been so patient with me, long-suffered with me, and loved me.  Thank you, dear lady.  I am grateful for your demonstration of your middle name, and the Spirit that is within you...