Dear Diary,

Ever since I was a little girl, I have had a crush on James Bond.

Although the movies were fun to watch, reading the Ian Fleming novels was a passion for me.  My adolescent fantasies centered on those adventures which pitted James Bond against the most nefarious villains.  I even used to make up stories in which I was either helping him or thwarting him…but in the end, we always wound up together. 

One night, I had a dream, which, though silly, has stayed with me for these past twenty-odd years.  In the dream, I was a spy.  I was ordered to carry out an important mission to deliver (don’t laugh) some microfilm.  Two cars chased mine through the streets, until they blocked me at a dead end.  The two menacing enemy agents jumped out of their vehicles and surrounded me, their guns pointed straight at me.  They promised to kill me if I didn’t reveal where I had stashed the microfilm.  (Again, don’t laugh: it was in the glove compartment.  Apparently, I wasn’t that great a spy.)  

Terrified, I realized I was about to die.  Regardless of whether or not I betrayed my country and handed the microfilm to the enemy, I knew they were going to kill me.  Suddenly, I heard two shots, and I folded over, certain they’d shot me.  But instead, the hulking men collapsed in front of me.  I looked around, and then I saw him: the silhouette of a man in the distance, lowering his smoking gun.  James Bond.  I felt overwhelmed with love and admiration for the dashing hero who just saved my life.

What a guy.  James Bond always saved the day.  His timing was as infallible as his loyalty, and his specialty was saving the world from evil villains bent on destroying it.  He always got the girl, too, because she was captivated by his undying commitment to her.  He admired her for her uniqueness, appreciated her talents and skills, and was always the gentleman.

Decades later, I realize why I was so drawn to James Bond.  He is a fictional representation of a very real hero: Jesus Christ.  The qualities I admired about James Bond were the very same ones that endeared me to Jesus.  Jesus will come to the rescue of any woman who cries out that she can’t do it on her own.  He is ready and able to save us from the villains in our lives.  He respects and celebrates our uniqueness, and he is devoted to us for the duration of the adventure.  We can always feel safe in his arms, because he is powerful and committed to our protection. 

James may have been the fantasy of my youth, but Jesus is the reality of my present.  And oh, what a wonderful thing it is to be able to depend on the love of this particular man.  My hero!