“Arise, my darling,
my beautiful one, come with me.
See! The winter is past;
the rains are over and gone.
Flowers appear on the earth;
the season of singing has come,
the cooing of doves
is heard in our land.
The fig tree forms its early fruit;
the blossoming vines spread their fragrance.
Arise, come, my darling;
my beautiful one, come with me.”
Song of Solomon 2:10-13
This has been one of my favorite verses for many years. It all started the summer of 2000. So much excitement and anticipation wells up in me when I read this passage!
So many...
memories...
girlish dreams...
feeling giddy...
having butterflies....
spending afternoons with one special person.
It captures all my youthful dreams, and it all started as a summer romance just over 13 years ago.
I was 20 years old, and serving as a camp counselor and summer missionary at a popular youth camp that many churches attend, and I was completely head-over-heels in love. It was unlike anything I had experienced before.
It was not puppy love or a crush, this was the real thing. It was heart-pounding, extravagant, and passionate. It was the kind of love that I knew would pursue me and never give up on me.
A love I could rest and be secure in, an enduring love. A love that was close and intimate, but wild and unpredictable. A love that I knew would be ....forever.
I came into the summer broken from a relationship that had gone wrong. I spent two years of my life pursuing this secret relationship, while completely isolating myself from those who cared about me most, my friends and family. I felt like I was starting over that spring. I was attending Bible studies at Baptist Collegiate Ministries on campus, and I learned about the opportunity to be a summer missionary. Hope began to well up in my heart, as I had always loved missions, and I believed God was giving me a chance to start over. "Come away with me..."
My brokenness was evident to others on my ministry team as I shared my recent relationship struggles openly. There was always a sting of shame when I would share, but I wanted desperately to give other girls strength not to make the same mistakes I made. I felt I had nothing to hide, as I begin to come clean for the first time about my past. I spent intense times of journaling and reading Scripture during that summer. And a few weeks into being at camp, my heart began to feel lighter.
My innocence and dignity was being restored. I felt like the woman in John 8, who was caught in adultery. Jesus reveals the true motives of her accusers with the brilliant statement, "Let any one of you who is without sin be the first to throw a stone at her.” Then they all leave and Jesus and the woman are left alone.
This is the conversation between them:
Jesus straightened up and asked her, “Woman, where are they? Has no one condemned you?”
"No one, sir,” she said.
“Then neither do I condemn you,” Jesus declared. “Go now and leave your life of sin.”
Only Jesus and I were there that summer. There was no accusation, no condemnation, no stones...only forgiveness. I was accepted, I was loved, I was forgiven. And I was given even more than that...a chance to start over. "Come away with me..." The gift of Jesus' presence with me that summer was more than enough to heal and restore my heart.
It just so happened that this healing was also a part of bringing a very special person into my life...my future husband! I met Jesse that same summer while working at camp together. Our love was mostly easy and innocent and full of excitement. Though at times I would have sabotaged it, God had other plans and by the following December, we were engaged.
So much has happened in my journey since I first heard those words "Come away with me" at a youth camp that summer over 13 years ago. It was the first time I feel in love. It was when my journey really began. I let myself be discovered by the relentless love of my Savior, and I have never stopped feeling butterflies or weak knees over the way He pursues me.
He has done so much in my life...
Blessed me with a Godly husband who adores me...
Given me three beautiful children...
Brought friends into my life at just the right time...
Lead me into incredible ministries to serve Him...
And the best is yet to come!!
And now over 13 years later...I still feel the same sense of anticipation when I hear these beautiful verses that I experienced as a young broken young woman longing for a fresh start. "Come away with me."
T
I came into the summer broken from a relationship that had gone wrong. I spent two years of my life pursuing this secret relationship, while completely isolating myself from those who cared about me most, my friends and family. I felt like I was starting over that spring. I was attending Bible studies at Baptist Collegiate Ministries on campus, and I learned about the opportunity to be a summer missionary. Hope began to well up in my heart, as I had always loved missions, and I believed God was giving me a chance to start over. "Come away with me..."
My brokenness was evident to others on my ministry team as I shared my recent relationship struggles openly. There was always a sting of shame when I would share, but I wanted desperately to give other girls strength not to make the same mistakes I made. I felt I had nothing to hide, as I begin to come clean for the first time about my past. I spent intense times of journaling and reading Scripture during that summer. And a few weeks into being at camp, my heart began to feel lighter.
My innocence and dignity was being restored. I felt like the woman in John 8, who was caught in adultery. Jesus reveals the true motives of her accusers with the brilliant statement, "Let any one of you who is without sin be the first to throw a stone at her.” Then they all leave and Jesus and the woman are left alone.
This is the conversation between them:
Jesus straightened up and asked her, “Woman, where are they? Has no one condemned you?”
"No one, sir,” she said.
“Then neither do I condemn you,” Jesus declared. “Go now and leave your life of sin.”
Only Jesus and I were there that summer. There was no accusation, no condemnation, no stones...only forgiveness. I was accepted, I was loved, I was forgiven. And I was given even more than that...a chance to start over. "Come away with me..." The gift of Jesus' presence with me that summer was more than enough to heal and restore my heart.
It just so happened that this healing was also a part of bringing a very special person into my life...my future husband! I met Jesse that same summer while working at camp together. Our love was mostly easy and innocent and full of excitement. Though at times I would have sabotaged it, God had other plans and by the following December, we were engaged.
He has done so much in my life...
Blessed me with a Godly husband who adores me...
Given me three beautiful children...
Brought friends into my life at just the right time...
Lead me into incredible ministries to serve Him...
And the best is yet to come!!
And now over 13 years later...I still feel the same sense of anticipation when I hear these beautiful verses that I experienced as a young broken young woman longing for a fresh start. "Come away with me."
T
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