Greater love has no one than this, than to lay down one’s life for his friends. You are My friends if you do whatever I command you. John 15:13-14
No, the title is not a typo. Laura Hammond wrote the story of SHMILY several years ago in memory of the game her grandparents played from the time they began dating until they were parted by death. They took turns writing SHMILY in secret places for the other to find. When one found it, it was their turn to write it for the other to find.
Hammond recounted the mysterious word being scribbled in the sugar or flour containers, the dew on the windows, the steam left on the mirror to reappear after each shower, little notes on the dashboard, the ashes around the fireplace, and once on the very last sheet of a roll of toilet paper. SHMILY appeared anywhere and everywhere, keeping the game going. Hammond recalled the loving relationship they sustained right to the end when her grandmother succumbed to cancer. The word was even printed on the yellow and pink ribbons adorning her funeral bouquet. Only then did her grandfather speak the words represented by the mysterious SHMILY she had known her whole life. See How Much I Love You.
My wife and I have played this game since hearing the story, and it is a consistent joy. They even make SHMILY coins to purchase and leave around for your loved ones. What a joy to feel that odd sensation when you put that shoe on your foot and realize you have been “SHMILY’ed.” As heartwarming as this story of a husband and wife continually kindling their love throughout their marriage, I want to shift our focus to the far greater SHMILY story written in the pages of Scripture.
As Jesus said in John 15:13-14, He gave us the greatest love of all. This comes to full view when we consider the full picture of its expression. The couple in the story above shared a mutual affection for one another from the beginning of their relationship to the end. That was not the case with Jesus and those for whom He died. It was a one-sided love story at its beginning. Romans 5:6-11 details the uniqueness of God’s love for us demonstrated in His reconciling us to Himself through Christ. Notice a few key facts from this text that highlight this remarkable display of love.
In verse 6, we see that “…Christ died for the ungodly.” In verse 8, it was “…while we were still sinners.” In verse 10, the full weight of the matter is seen in the reality that it was “…when we were enemies, we were reconciled to God through the death of His Son…” As heartwarming as the story of the SHMILY couple is, the truth is every marriage should be as loving as that. It is equal parts heartwarming and heartbreaking that we are so impressed by a husband and wife treating one another as they did. It is heartwarming because it shows what sweetness marriage can bring if both parties choose to make it so. It is heartbreaking because so many couples choose not to make it so. What Jesus did in willingly dying a brutal death for the ones who were His enemies at the time is truly astounding.
As John put it in 1 John 4:19, “We love Him because He first loved us.” What we do with this SHMILY story is of eternal import. Jesus died for those who were His enemies at the time of His death, but the sacrifice only saves those who become His friends. He defined His friends as those who do whatever He commands (John 15:14). As Paul said, “For the love of Christ controls us” (2 Corinthians 5:14-ESV). He stretched out His arms and freely gave His life on the cross while we were His enemies. Will we yield our lives in service to Him that we may be His friends?