Apostolic Friends Forum - Thou hast doves eyes

Sgs 1:15 Behold, thou [art] fair, my love; behold, thou [art] fair; thou [hast] doves' eyes.

One of the wonderful things God says about His Church is the passage above. Particularly, the words, "thou has doves eyes". The term "doves eyes" denotes what the writer of Acts calls "singleness of hearts" in Act 2:46:
"And they, continuing daily with one accord in the temple, and breaking bread from house to house, did eat their meat with gladness and singleness of heart," Those early Pentcostal Christians were instilled with a love that trancends human comprehension. That love extended, not only to the Heavenly Father that filled them with His Spirit, but to each other. They were with one accord.

This spring I have a dove nesting in a flower planter on my front porch. I've never known of a dove to nest in such close proximity to people before, so, I like to think God allowed this dove to nest here to teach me a lesson about His love for His church... and of the love His church should have for Him, and, well, for each other. And I've learned quite a bit. Maybe not as much as I should have, but, I have learned some.

One thing I know about doves is that they mate for life. The partner they choose is their partner throughout their lives. Nothing comes between them. I watched as the female sat on the eggs as the male cooed close by. He came closer and began to groom his mate. I watched thru the window as he took food, food he had eaten, food that would have nourished him, yet, he took that food and passed it to her to sustain her, to give her strength. I was struck by the tenderness as the male cared for his mate, ignored his own needs to sustain her, and spoke tenderly to her. How many times have we heard the tender "still small voice" of the Lord speak to us in our time of need. How many times has he sustained us thru His Word?

Anytime I stepped on to the porch, the female sat absolutely still. Danger was close by, yet, she set rock still. I moved close to the nest and she remained perfectly still. I thought of the Scripture " Fear ye not, stand still, and see the salvation of the LORD...." How many times have we, in the face of anxiety, allowed our fears to move us from our place of security in the Lord? I can just imagine the fear this dove felt, yet, she sat unmovable, because the life of her young was more precious than her own.

Finally, the two eggs hatched and new life was born. I couldn't resist. I had to see. Slowly I walked over and, at the very last moment, the mother flew away. She, it seems, had abandoned her young. But she didn't. I watched as she flew to the ground and began to "flop" her wings and thrash about in a way that made me think she was injured. And, that was the point. In an effort to draw the danger away from her young, she was willing to lay her life on the line. She was willing to sacrifice herself to save her young. Jesus' life was not taken from Him, He gave His life to save His young. How many times have we thought the Lord had abandoned us in our time of need? I'm sure the disciples of Jesus felt this way as the Body of their Lord lay in the tomb. But, no, He hadn't abandoned them. He was there with them, just as He is here with us in our time of need.

Oh, Lord, give me doves eyes. Allow me "...to see no man, save Jesus only." (Matt 17:8). Give me a love and compassion for my brother and sister in the Lord that is bigger than our disagreements and conflicts. Give me Your Word to nourish and strengthen them. Help me, Lord, to be willing to lay my life down for my friends.