The Ultimate Kiss

Have you ever been denied a kiss?

Are you thinking of that time when you lingered long on the front porch fiddling with your keys, standing close, fluttering your eyes.  You discretely made sure you didn’t have food in your teeth before you exited the car.  He goes for the hug, but quickly pulls away while you are perfecting the head-tilt.  No kiss for you.  (Said Soup-Nazi style.)

Or maybe you are the boy who locks eyes with the girl and reads the twinkle in her eyes as saying “kiss me.”  But, when you lean in, she looks down and away and you are left with nothing but the smell of her shampoo.  No kiss for you.

However, I’m not talking about romantic kisses.   I’m talking about being denied kid kisses.  Those cheeks are just so stinking cute and that dimple might as well be a sign that says “kiss me quick!”  But, my girls have long been too wiggly-busy for mom kisses even though I steal a few from time to time. 

This morning I asked for it.

We pulled into the elementary school a bit early and had a few moments before Alexis could exit the car.  She unbuckled and was leaning up between the two front seats.  That soft, peachy cheek was calling my name.  And, as I said before, I asked for it.  Literally. 

“May I give you a kiss?”

“No.”  Came her curt reply.  I suppose she hadn’t had her coffee yet. 

My heart sank.  Emotions flared. 

She has every right to deny my request.  I want my girls to know that their body belongs to them and they don’t have to let anyone touch them ever.  But, my mother’s heart just wanted to give her a quick expression of my love. 

After she denied me that, I wanted to give her the silent treatment to let her know I was sad (because I’m mature like that).

But, I wouldn’t do that to her.  Do you know why?

Because I love her truly—unconditionally.  She wouldn’t take my kiss, so I gave her a different expression of my love:  forgiveness.  When she left the car, I didn’t want her to remember a mother’s cold shoulder.  I wanted her to remember a warm smile (even if they eyes were a little sad). 

And as I was pulling away from the school, I realized that God is like that.  He presented the ultimate expression of His love by sending His son.  He sees the cheeks of all of His children and leans in to offer the pure kiss of Good News.  And yet, He is denied by many.

“May I give you a kiss?”

“No.”  Comes the curt reply.

Does God’s heart sink?  Do His emotions flare?  Are His eyes sad?

He won’t force the issue.  The choice is ours.  We can yield our cheeks—our lives—or not.  We may perceive that God is giving us the silent treatment.  But, that’s never true.  Instead He responds with faithfulness and forgiveness.  With a warm smile and sad eyes, His unconditional love echoes in our ears even as we go about our day.

Dear unbelieving friend, look up at the sky today.  It might be gray.  It might be blue.  The leaves might be fluttering down or the palm leaves might be waving. 

Your heart might be longing for more than this mind-numbing rat-race. 

Your heart might be heavy.  Your body might be ailing or a relationship might be broken. 

Or maybe your heart is superficially glad because you’ve experienced some minor success or had an expectation fulfilled.  You are on a high from that like a six-year old with a mouth full of cotton candy.  But maybe you want more than the happiness that melts. 

Maybe you are tired and overwhelmed.  Holidays are coming—do you hear that as a joy or a threat? 

Maybe you are bored and blah and passionless. 

Maybe you feel trapped. 

Maybe you feel forgotten.

Maybe you feel ugly.

Do you hear the question?

“May I give you a kiss?”

In your minds eye, you see the baby in the manger, the man on the cross—God leans in.

Close your eyes.  Say yes.

This kiss comes with a promise as all good kisses do.  And if you’ve already accepted the kiss, then don’t forget His promises!  You’ve been given complete forgiveness, unconditional love, inexplicable strength, and eternal life!  Let that joy sink into your bones and spill out of your pores!  Quit walking around like you haven’t been kissed.  Not only have you been kissed, you've been pardoned, healed, redeemed, satisfied, and crowned!