As You Wish
“Whoever has my commands and keeps them is the one who loves me. The one who loves me will be loved by my Father, and I too will love them and show myself to them.”
John 14:21
One of my family’s favorite movies is “The Princess Bride.” When it came out in 1987, this quirky film surprised everyone with its popularity. To this day, it is still a favorite of thousands.
My wife and kids and I have seen it more times than I can count. We have large portions of the dialogue memorized and many phrases from the film have worked their way into the DeSelm family lexicon.
“Inconceivable!”
“Everybody move!”
“He’s only mostly dead.”
“Have fun storming the castle!”
And then there’s the classic wedding scene in the ornate cathedral where the Archbishop of Florin, dressed up in his imposing robes and vestments speaks with a voice that sounds almost exactly like Elmer Fudd. “Mah- widge. Mah-widge is what bwings us to-gevah today…that dweam wiffin a dweam…” (I’ve actually been asked to talk that way in a wedding I performed! I declined.)
But there is one line that lies at the heart of the book’s storyline.
As the movie opens, we see the heroine, Buttercup, on her farm. Soon we meet a young man who works on the farm and answers to the name Farm Boy.
Whenever Buttercup asks Farm Boy to do something for her, he always replies, “As you wish.” No argument. No hesitancy.
Over time Buttercup begins to develop a crush on Farm Boy. One day as he is about to leave the room, she asks him to fetch her a pitcher, which is within easy reach for her. Farm Boy walks over, stares into her eyes, lifts the pitcher and whispers, “As you wish.”
In that moment, Buttercup realizes that every time he has said, “As you wish,” he was really saying, “I love you.” Out of this, a deep and abiding romance flows.
In commenting on this, author Gary Moon writes, “There is no greater expression of love than a freely submitted will. As you wish.”
“There is no greater expression of love than a freely submitted will. As you wish.”
– Gary Moon
Jesus defined love in these terms when He said, “Whoever has my commands and keeps them is the one who loves me. The one who loves me will be loved by my Father, and I too will love them and show myself to them.”
Intimacy born out of obedience. At the heart of communion with God is the whisper, “As you wish.”
Opportunities to respond that way occur throughout the day. Most are not dramatic.
A moment of personal insult or injury would seem to merit a response. One choice is to hurt back – the other is to extend grace. You can sense which one the Lord wants from you. “As you wish.”
You receive an unexpected financial surprise and you look forward to what you can buy for yourself. Then the thought comes that you could also be generous to one less fortunate than you. “As you wish.”
A friend who is struggling with grief or grappling with cancer comes to your mind. You wonder how they are doing. Then you think, “Why don’t I call them and pray for them?” “As you wish.”
An opportunity presents itself to offer a word of testimony to someone who doesn’t yet know Jesus. You feel intimidated and consider letting the moment pass. Then you swallow hard and speak up. “As you wish.”
The stance of love is made most manifest not in feelings of romance or even declarations of affection. It’s seen in a freely submitted will that is displayed in actions.
As I write this, I’m drawn to the idea of once again viewing “The Princess Bride.” Maybe you are too. And if you act upon that, enjoy the dialogue and have fun with the characters.
But also allow the words, “As you wish!” to settle deep into your soul. As you do that, the fantasy will become a reality. And your love for the Lover of your soul will become more than mere words.
PRAYER
Jesus, I recognize that all too often my love for you is in words only. And that’s a pretty lame sort of love. Forgive me for that. Help me to move into a love shown by a freely submitted will that obeys You. May my default to the prompts You give be increasingly, “As You wish.”
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