Come Away...

I suppose it dawned on me during class a few weeks ago... You know, the way something so seemingly simple can strike you as though for the first time? It was in Christian Spirituality class with Dr. Parker, on a Thursday morning. His presentation was on devotions that day... and I was feeling pretty discouraged.

My devotional life had basically come to a standstill... and I didn't know what to do about it. I had tried to be faithful with my devotions, and really get into them... but homework always seemed to preoccupy my mornings until the very last minute, and then I would only have time to read a few verses and say a quick prayer before rushing off to class. It was depressing.

In class that morning, Dr. Parker had us do an exercise on devotions. We were to look up a passage of scripture of our choosing, read through it, and then simply meditate on what God was trying to say to us through the texts.

I had been reading through Song of Solomon in my sporadic "devotions," and decided to pick up where I had left off.

What God impressed on my heart, in those next few minutes, I will never forget... I never WANT to forget...

Song of Solomon 2:10-14

My beloved spoke, and said to me:

"Rise up, my love, my fair one,

And come away."

Whoa... did He just call me His fair one??? Never heard THAT before... this guy sounds serious! So, He wants me to come away with Him...

"For Lo, the winter is past,

The rain is over and gone."

Yeah, that pretty much sums up my personal time with Him here recently... winter... rains... just plain dreary weather. I haven't felt very close to Him...

"The flowers appear on the earth;

The time of singing has come,

And the voice of the turtledove

Is heard in our land."

Ok, so maybe He's hinting that it's time for a fresh start? Oh, I would love that!... but can I? It seems like I've tried so many times before and failed...

"The fig tree puts forth her green figs,

And the vines with the tender grapes

Give a good smell.

Rise up, my love, my fair one,

And come away!"

Alright, alright!... He's got me convinced. If a fig tree and grape vine can produce fruit... well than, I guess I can too if I'm connected to the right source. And He's obviously pretty insistent about this coming away thing... guess He really does want to spend time with me...

"O my dove, in the clefts of the rock,

In the secret places of the cliff,

Let me see your face,

Let me hear your voice;

For your voice is sweet,

And your face is lovely."

*gasp*... wow... does He really think that about me?...

I guess I have heard it before, "Jesus loves you," and all of that... but, it never really dawned on me...

So, by not spending time with Him... I'm like... crushing Him...

As I walked out of class that beautiful spring morning, I saw new life all around me. My heart was nearly giddy with the realization that all this He wanted to do in my life... and more! Winter was over and gone, and He was offering me a fresh start.

Since that morning in class, I can't say that my devotions have always gone amazingly... but I can say that I have experienced a closeness with God that I never felt before. I actually look forward to spending time with Him in the mornings, and I come away feeling like a new person.

What's exciting is that I know this is only a fraction of what God wants me to experience with Him. Each day He calls for me to come deeper... deeper... into the kind of relationship that I could only ever dream of having...

...His call to, Rise up, my love, my fair one, and come away...

- Shannon