Match made in HEAVEN.

"We become what we love and who we love shapes what we become. If we love things, we become a thing. If we love nothing, we become nothing. Imitation is not a literal mimicking of Christ, rather it means becoming the image of the beloved, an image disclosed through transformation. This means we are to become vessels of God´s compassionate love for others. " St. Clare of Assisi

I'm a matchmaker at heart. I always joke around that one day I'm going to leave the world I know and become a professional Christian matchmaker. And although I can't say I have a successful match rate or that I've even accurately brought two soul mates together, there is a natural longing in my heart for all people to find love.

Instinctively, when I meet a new person, my first thought goes to who could they love. I know it's bizarre. But it's truth. From the second I see them I am searching for their heart, amidst the rest, and nailing down in my mind everything that they could offer to another as a man or woman. Notice, I choose the word offer, and not the word gain, or take, or get. This game becomes less entertaining of course, if they've already found their true love. True being key. My heart longs for every heart to find true love.

This very urge, to matchmake, I'm sure, drives my friends absolutely crazy. But they embrace me and try to understand it. I'm certain they are sick of me saying I met the one for them and are bored out of they're minds as I list all the reasons they're soulmate is Bob, or Joe, or Jack. But they comply to the craziness and I don't doubt in my mind that when I suggest these insane ideas, a small part of them is wishing, maybe he is the one.

Why? Why is this that amidst the strangeness that is Danielle's bizarre matchmaking, they'd hold out a little hope? Every heart longs for love. That desire, that is what we were made for and until we find it, well our hearts will keep searching.

I'm no different then any of you, my heart longs for love. It always has. For as long as I remember, my barbies were in love, my dolls had a mom and dad that were in love, and I knew someday I'd be like Cinderella marry my Prince Charming. But then, I knew the idea of love as the world defined it. It's the course of life. You grow up, find love, get married and live happily ever after. Wow, settling. Is that it? I know better now. God has shown be better.

Stop for a second, and consider your idea of love. What is it? What does it mean? Where do you find it? It's difficult in this jaded world to discover authentic love. For me, my mind always goes to a parent child love. Or the love between an elderly couple who have been together forever. And my heart yearns for those moments of human love, but why do I ache for that love, when perfect love is mine already?

You want to know real love, look to the cross. That's love. That's a man sacrificing everything, his very life, for you, for your well being. That's a man who loves you now, loved you then, and loves you always. That's the love for which your heart is longing. What greater example of love is there than this, a love that gave it all and asked nothing in return.

You see, our hearts they long for love, they search for it and they tell us they are ready. But here's the truth, we already know true love and the very notion scares us. Love, it's give not take. Christ showed us that. But giving, without getting anything certain in return puts our hearts on the line and risks being hurt. And in our mind of red and pink hearts and boxes of chocolate, love is supposed to be easy. Well, it's not. Love calls us to stretch. Love asks us to be patient. Love says give, and give more without asking what's in it for me? And that, that is scary.

So what's the point? What's the point of loving when it's hard? What's the point of giving and expecting nothing in return? Well the truth is, none of us are capable of this idea on our own. None of us are willing to take this risk to love, giving completely of ourselves, until we know true love first. True love is God. Yeah, we hear all the time God loves you. But until you fall in love with God and until you know that love, that will endure all things, and push you to become more as "perfect love casts out all fear," you'll never be able to truly love any other.

God offers us the love we were created to know. And because we receive perfect love from Him, we are able to give love. Sure, love here on earth requires risk, but when we already know our ultimate lover has a home for us being prepared in Heaven it's easier to take those risks trusting He will sustain us.

I may not be a matchmaker yet, but I'm learning everyday what it means to fall in love. It means you seek the ultimate good for the other regardless of what that means for you! You want to know my best love advice; fall in love with God. He is constant and His love is perfect. And as a perfect lover does He only seeks the best for you. He will call you to more and push you farther. His love will bring out every passion in your heart and through Him, you'll find a love that calls you to be truly alive.

Sometimes I wonder why I'm 26 and still single, and trust me my mom wonders too. But the truth is, it's a blessing. God has used every second of this time to call my heart to Him. I spent so much time searching for love elsewhere, when it was always right in front of me. I won't lie, my heart still longs for a husband. But my heart, it truly rests in the love of God, knowing He has shown me how to love more perfectly so one day, when the time is finally right, I can love the man of my dreams, fully and truly and exactly how God calls me.

So while I'll still search for your soul mates here on earth, I'm no longer fouled. Ultimate love doesn't come from my matchmaking skills but from the desire of two souls to love God fully so that they can more fully love the other.