I love to read.

This summer I've had a very rare blessing - I had 3 weeks with no kids! I filled that time with reading voraciously. I love to read but never get the chance because I usually only have time to read what the kids are reading for school, since I'm the teacher.
I read business how-to books, Sidney Poitier's biography "The Measure of a Man", the latest Francine Rivers book "The Scribe" about the life of Silas, and although the kids are back, I'm trying to devote time every day to continue reading for me - at least until school starts back up in 6 or 7 weeks.
I don't normally like fiction because I hate "romance" stories, I'm just not wired that way, but I absolutely love Scottish fiction stories and will even put up with the romance junk to be able to read about life in Scotland in the late 1700s to late 1800s, especially concerning it's leadership in regards to England.
I'm currently half way through "Kilgannon" by Kathleen Givens. I found her books advertised in a magazine I picked up for the first time called Scottish Life. The library had it, so I got that and the second one in the series "The Wild Rose of Kilgannon". The odd thing is that reading the way the main character, and falls in love with the Scot is opening up a new mindset for me in my faith.
I always hear song lyrics and speakers talking about falling in love with Jesus and I have to tell you, that seems strange and almost irreverent to me. Like it should be a respect for authority thing and not a heart thing. But as I read this book, I see how she's attracted to his thinking, the things he says, the equality he gives her with other men, how his heart longs to please her, always promising that her life will always be as she wishes, (in other words, if there's any major changes it's because SHE wished it, not him making her decisions for her), and especially how he cares for and protects those he loves, as well as those he cares for as chieftan of his MacGannon clan.
As I read this, I begin to wonder if I've been reading the New Testament all wrong. I read non-fiction in most cases, all head - no heart. The same way I probably read about Jesus. Now I wonder how different Jesus would seem if I paid attention to the way he spoke, the things he said, read about his story as if I was picturing myself there like in a fiction novel, noting when he spoke, when he retreated, when he prayed, how he taught, but really focused on how he loved. Granted there wasn't a lot of touching and caressing like in most fiction stories, but isn't a gentle touch on the head while producing healing just as impactful? Wasn't it human-like to need to get away from it all to be alone with his Father? What about the love he still showed for humanity as he was in agony on the cross, hoping death would come soon, yet still asking for their forgiveness with his last breaths? That's dramatic! That's touching! That's captivating! He knew ahead of time what he'd have to endure but he CHOSE to trade his life for our sake, would you do the same? I don't think I could when you really get down to it. I think for the first time I really see what those lyrics and scriptures mean when they call Jesus their "lover" and us his "bride". I think I have some more reading to do.......