Love is in the Details

Have you ever attended a wedding where you were captivated by the lavish decorations, where you felt the “love” in every detail? Maybe you experienced something like that at a women’s retreat, weekend conference, or birthday party.

I’ve been told that I am someone who pays “attention to details”. Whether it’s working on a project or an event, this is quite helpful to complete the tasks so that the project or event can be successful. I believe that when you are detail-oriented, you ask a lot of questions. It comes with the territory, naturally. As women, we generally like details. We ask questions to gather information about whatever it is that we are involved in. I do ask a lot of questions. I know this about myself and fully accept the way that I am wired. If you want to know, just ask my husband. We laugh and send each other memes and reels that capture the dynamics between us.

For example, a husband and a wife have different experiences when getting together with friends. A comedian shared a conversation between a couple that was recently sent to me from my husband. Here’s the scene:

The husband comes home after golfing with his friend all day:

Wife: How was your day golfing with Joe?

Husband: It was good.

Wife: How has Joe been working through his family struggles?

Husband: I don’t know, it didn’t really come up.

As funny as this was for us to watch, the truth of the matter is men and women are wired differently. We are uniquely made and created. I love that in my marriage, Micah complements the areas in my life where I am weak, and we both work together knowing our strengths and weaknesses.

I think that there is a difference between paying attention to detail and showing love in the details. There can be amazing events, conferences, and weddings where the attention to detail is top-notch. Everything is done with excellence. As I ponder this, I know there is a difference between having an excellent event and an event that is filled with the love and the presence of God.

When love is in the details, it expresses a level of care and intentionality that marks the event in a special way. You see, when love is in the details, it communicates, “I know you”, “I understand you”, “I love you”, “You are valuable” and/or “I thought of you”. These little things can often make the biggest impact. When all that we do flows from a place of love, beautiful things happen. Thoughtful details make others feel loved, seen, valued, known, and special.

I believe loving people is key.  We can express that love through little things like the details.

1 Corinthians 16:14 says this: “Let everything you do be done in love [motivated and inspired by God’s love for us].”

When I think about this verse, it reminds me of how detailed our God is. He thinks of every detail. He created all the details. He is the author of the details. WOW! He’s the God who knows every hair on our heads and every fiber of our being. He knew you and me before we were even born.

When God created you, you better believe that LOVE WAS IN THE DETAILS.

God is LOVE and every detail that He puts into place has a purpose and it reveals His power.

What’s on my heart is this: An event without the presence of God is just an event. We don’t need another event to go to. Heaven knows we’re busy enough. We need the presence of God to inhabit the details of our lives in the events we experience. We need to welcome the Holy Spirit to do what only He can do to transform lives, heal the broken, and set people free.

God knows exactly what we need when we need it. Let me remind you, He is the author of the divine details in our lives. We often say God is in the details. However, God will only do what we give Him permission to do. He wants to move in the details of our lives, but we must surrender to Him. We can plan and move forward in many things, but those things are better when God establishes them.

In Proverbs 16:9, it says:  “A man’s mind plans his way [as he journeys through life], but the LORD directs his steps and establishes them.”

God is in the details when we allow Him to establish the plans that we lay before Him. Love is in the details because it’s the Lord working through our lives to accomplish and reveal His heart.

As I have been working on this blog, I am seeing how all these “details” have been connected pointing us to the Author of it all.  It’s out of a place of LOVE that comes from our Father who inspires you and me to plan with excellence and to do everything in love. Inviting Jesus into every detail allows Him to establish His plan and purpose in our lives.

You are anointed by God to do great things. When you allow God to establish your steps, living a life in complete surrender, God will do MORE than you can IMAGINE. Allow His love to inspire and motivate you today. Show someone how loved they are by paying attention to the details.

Love is in the details because God is its author.  Let’s reveal this truth in everything that we do.

-Bethany Marshall