Cling
![The trials and games of love can be disheartening, but nothing is more rewarding than finally winning someone's affection. Here, two lovers have dispensed with the games and tenderly embrace. As they hold each other tightly, flowers and golden leaves seem to spring from their very bodies, celebrating the blossoming of love within them. Although it may seem inappropriate to pair lovers with an image of Christ's death, they may be intended to remind us of the eternal joy resulting from that event. Tender Embrace, by Master of Guillebert de Mets](/bundles/ncbsw/media/Master_of_Guillebert_de_Mets_-_Tender_Embrace_-_Walters_W166118R_-_Detail_A.webp)
On a natural level, "clinging" to someone clearly indicates a desire to be close to them and conjoined with them. It often has a negative connotation – it's connected with emotional neediness and a bit of paranoia – but is a good thing in proper balance in a happy marriage, with each partner putting the other ahead of friends, family and other interests. When it is used in the Bible, "clinging" generally represents mutual love. This can be in marriage, in friendships or in a general state of loving others and wishing to serve them. At the deepest level, when the idea is of "clinging to Jehovah," it represents a desire to know and follow the Lord’s commandments so that we can be ever better and loving and serving others.