Month: July 2019

Most people wouldn’t believe I wrote this sacred story while listening to Hero by Enrique Iglesias. So, what does Jesus have to do with that song? It’s simple…Jesus is the ultimate hero. There is no love that can save us like his.

This is a symbolic story that compares idolatry with spiritual adultery. “For your Creator will be your husband; the LORD of Heaven’s Armies is his name! He is your Redeemer, the Holy One of Israel, the God of all the earth.” -Isaiah 54:5

Jesus, you are the Lover of my soul, my husband forever <3

“I do” doesn’t burden my heart like it used to. Now my heart is lifted because I stand in white and look up with sparkling hazel eyes into the eyes of my one true love, my beloved Savior, into the warm eyes of Jesus, my hero. 

I can picture myself standing and smiling, tears of gladness and peace flooding my eyes. I wipe them with a cloth He offers, rubbing off some of my wine-colored eye shadow over-laid with gold dust. My painted red lips make my teeth seem whiter than they are. Jesus gently takes my hand and tells me that I am beautiful. My white gown glitters like recently fallen snow in the sun, and fans out past my feet on the streets of gold. 

We are in a garden of trees dripping with succulent golden, red, and orange colored cherries. My Husband pulls out the ring, golden with love, and engraved with a red ruby representing His shed blood for me. His fingers flutter beneath my hand until they case my ring finger. 

“Do you love me?” He asks, His voice rich and deep like the oceans.
I nod my head “I do,” I say. He smiles and slips the ring on my finger. He opens His arms and I melt inside of them. His embrace is sweeter than honey, and I feel like I am falling into His heart. 

“Then love me every day,” He whispers in my ear. I shiver from His breath. His voice unlocks my heart. The key to my most sacred place has been delivered to Him by my hand. Choirs of Angels rejoice in the background between the trees, they are blurry to my vision. But all are beautiful, majestic and dressed in white robes with gauzy flowing sleeves.

Men love your wives as Christ loved the church and gave Himself up for her. -Ephesians 5:25

Years later, and I find myself coming home to my faithful Husband after having yet another affair. The night is cold and white with snow. The winter sky is a dark blue and ample with stars, but to my broken heart, outside is dark with pain. I knock on the front door and He opens it, and lets me inside.

I walk in, the fireplace is burning, and herbal tea is inside the kettle on the stove. There beside it is soup made with healing spices like ginger and red pepper. Jesus closes the door behind me. I notice an empty box of Kleenex tissues by the coffee table. Had He sat there and cried? How long had He waited for me to come home? My heart sinks. Without looking at me, without seeing my expression He knows. 

“Did not my Spirit go with you?” He say’s looking at me with eyes that know my soul. And the two shall become one flesh. Don’t you know that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit? -1 Corinthians 6:19

Shameful tears spring from my eyes. “I’m sorry,” I mummer with a trembling voice. Ever forgiving He takes my coat and draws me warm water for a bath, and waits for me to get dressed. Shyly I meet Him in the living room by the fireplace. There He fixes me a bowl of soup and tells me He’s glad I’m home. I am found in His arms, and He strokes my hair and restores my soul. Mending it with His care He prays to God above. Truly He has saved me in all ways, spiritual, mental, emotional, and physical.

“I will stand by you forever,” He says. 

Amazed by His love I whisper, “Why?” I am so unworthy of it. 

“Because I’m in love with you,” He says. 

“As I am with you,” I respond. 

“No,” He answers. Feeling insulted I move away from Him, offense settling inside of me.

“You love Me, but you are not in love with Me because you don’t know My heart.” 

“I married You,” I say in defense. 

“Yes, after I died for you. After I freed your soul, and brought salvation to your spirit. After I delivered you to God above, and rescued you from the enemy whom you play games with. Why? Why would you run back to someone who had you in chains? Who hates you and means only to destroy you and break your heart? I have done nothing to deserve that. Sweetheart I love you. I’ve promised to take care of you forever.”

I am dumbfounded by the truth. Though His words are firm, His tone is coated with love and care that left me feeling as if He were hugging me, as if He had just kissed my heart. 

“Sweetheart, why would you visit a place that you ran from? There, you were dying in darkness. I sought you out and asked for your hand while you were consumed by bad habits, hot attitudes, temperaments, shortness of patience, a careless tongue, and lustful desires. So why, I ask, would you let him tempt you into your past again?”

I sit quietly rubbing my arm. A vision came to my heart. I pictured Jesus as a priceless treasure and I pictured myself walking away from Him to live in trash. Jesus scoots close to my side on the floor in front the fireplace. The sand colored carpet below me with sewn red roses seems softer now that He is by me. “It’s because you’re not in love with Me.” He breathes and touches my hand. 

“When I took you as my wife, I gave you one request…to love me every day.” He gazes in my eyes. The love pouring from His fills me with that amazing peace I felt when I first asked Him to come into my heart and be my Lord and savior. He opens His arms and I melt in His embrace. “So, love me every day. Taste and see that I am good,” He whispers in my ears and I shiver again. 

That night like every night that I am home He tucks me in bed and kisses me on the forehead. It was a holy kiss that seemed to heavenly remove my parading thoughts. After reading the Bible to me, He gets underneath the covers and blows out the dancing flames of the candles by our bedside.

I know past my soul, but deep in my spirit that I am home. He puts an arm around my waist and tells me goodnight. My heart is most comfortable by His touch, my mind is at ease with Him, and I am in harmony when I remain faithful to Him.

“Why?” I ask Him, confused as to why I would ever cheat on Him. “Why am I not in love with you?” 

Jesus takes a deep breath in then out before sitting up. He turns on our bedside lamp, and it gives off a yellow glow. I sit up as well. 

“Honey how much time do you spend with Me?” He asks. I lower my eyes. 

“I know You frequently ask me to spend more time with You.” 

“Some days,” He say’s slowly, “I don’t see you at all.” He lifts my hand to his lips and places a tender kiss on it. “On those days, I miss you. What could be more important than our marriage?”

I thought about it, and felt guilty to find that I placed things like television, video games and even foods over Jesus. I spent more time at work, school, and with my friends than I did with my Savior, whose uttered name rescued me from demons. Idolatry is not just bowing down to another God; it is placing anything and anyone over God. Not only had I cheated on Him, but I committed idolatry, I violated my body, my mind, and my heart and disgraced His body.

“Nothing is more important…I cannot explain my actions.” 

He rubs my leg. “I can darling,” He says offering me the truth.

“Then, please explain,” I ask. 

“You want the best in life my love, but you already have it. You want tangible love when you own the deepest there is. You seek things to make you happy when I offer you eternal joy, on earth and in Heaven. You don’t know yourself because you have not been made perfect in unconditional love. Your heart is like a body of water, some parts rage with waves, others stir, and yet others are lined with ripples. Every woman’s heart is made that way for a reason…so she can find Me at the center of her thoughts, of her heart, of her emotions, and so I can calm her waters, in a touch that goes far beyond the physical, but brings every part of her health. It’s the journey of falling in love that few have the patience to walk.” Jesus then puts His hand on mine. 

“Your path is colored by the times of day and night. It is laid with stones, and mapped with valleys, mountains, forests, deserts, and rivers so that once you’ve found Me inside you will never be lost on the outside. Let your journey be a testimony to others. All these things are necessary just like soil, sunlight, and water is needed for a seed to grow, and flour, eggs, sugar, salt, and milk is needed to bake. What is honey without nectar, without the bee? What is land without water? What is the sky without the sun and the moon?”

“Without You I’m lost…there is no me without You.” I say looking at Him, the Holy Spirit revealing to me the truth. “I was bought with a price, Your life. I am no longer the devil’s, nor the world’s, nor my own…I am Yours. My heart, body, mind, and spirit belong to You…. so why don’t You take me?” 

“My dear I am far too much of a gentleman to force you to love Me, and remain faithful. I will only ask you too, and take care of you when you come home if you choose to stray. My heart will never stop loving you, no matter what. Nothing you do could ever stop Me from loving you. I am Love and it delights My heart to love you.” 

I fall into His embrace and He cuts off the lamp before snuggling me. Our room curtains are drawn back and the night sky is glittered with stars. It is true once you have a constant well of joy, peace, and love on the inside you can enjoy the simple beauties of life. Jesus is the water that springs this well on the inside of me. Peace has flooded me. I lay my head on His chest and listen to the musical sound of His heartbeat. Like base drums, calming, steady, and deep His heart gives me all I could ever want and need. 

“I will,” I whisper, “Love You every day.”

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~This short story was taken from me newly published book: Romantic Rendezvous for the Soul. You can read the first story for free on the Free Inspiration page. If you’ve been blessed by this story may you consider writing a review for it on amazon? Writing a review will expose more women to the book so that they can be blessed by it. Thank you so much for taking your time to do this!

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“The stories in this book will invite you into a marriage relationship with Jesus showing you what it looks like to be loved without condemnation. Ashley brings you into personal conversations with the one who’s very name is Love. Sometimes life just gets so busy and I grow distant from the Lord that I don’t hear His gentle voice wooing me, calling me to His side. As I read this book, Jesus was reminding me of His great love for me, reminding me that He actually longed to spend time with me. If you are longing to know what it means to be loved and romanced by your creator, read this book and allow Jesus to romance you like only He can!” – Rachel Sklenicka, Licensed Minister, Graduate of CBC, Former Missionary to Russia