SONG OF ANNA

Thank You for one more day,

One more day to awaken the dawn with worship.

One more span of sun rise to set

When I pour out my heart to You,

To listen with my inner ears to Your whispers,

To pray with all the experience of my eighty-four years.

Not a moment is wasted.

My body may be stooped from age—

Frail from fasting—

But my spirit is mighty.

I carry with me a powerful presence

That changes the very atmosphere,

For even at night

My worship does not wane.

The Ruach HaKodesh, the holiest of spirits,

Dances between my dreams and waking moments.

There is not longer any separation from You.

I never leave the temple,

Never leave Your side.

Prophetess they call me,

But You call me friend.

(based on Luke 2)

MY RESURRECTION

Seems only right to re-share this favorite on Easter Week.

My Resurrection

You say to me, “Get up!”
Am I waking from the dead
Or a deep, dark sleep?

“Get up, little girl!”
You grasp my hand and lead me back—
Twelve years, twenty, so many I’ve lost count—
To when the issues began,
To when the bleeding started.
I was just a little girl.

In the places where I died,
When a little part of me
Gave up, lost hope, let go of innocence…
You restore me.

And then You turn
To the woman in me:
The one whose burden has been so heavy,
Who spent everything she had
On the wrong answers and the wrong questions,
The one who has suffered from constant bleeding,
Constant pain.

Surely, if I could just touch Your robe, or
If I could just hear You say my name,
Something would change?
You say to me,
“Your suffering is over.
Get up, I have made you whole!”

Immediately, the bleeding stops and
I feel that I’ve been healed. 
Immediately, I stand up.

I have scars from the past
In my hands and side,
But my grave is empty.
Why look for the living among the dead?
I’m not there.  I’m alive!


Copyright © 3/25/03 by Kendra Lane Barrow; version 4/06/10.  All rights reserved.

Based on Mark 5:22-29, 34, 39-42 (New Living Translation)

A HEART OF WISDOM (Psalm 90)

God, you are my family’s true home

For generations to come and the generations that brought me here.

Before the world was born, you were God.

Before time, you were God.

Until the end of time, you will still be God.

The lifetime of a man is as short as the new morning grass

Withering by evening.

Time to you is but a moment – a thousand years like a day to you.

You are bigger, greater, and unending.

We are so small in comparison.

And you know every part of us – every single thing –

Even our deepest secrets.

Maybe we will have seventy or eighty years of life

If we have the strength,

But our days will rush by and be filled with trouble.

Therefore, teach us, O God,

To live our days rightly and honestly

So that we grow a heart of wisdom,

A heart like yours.

Copyright © 3/27/13 by Kendra Lane Barrow. All rights reserved.

PSALMS OF MYRRH - FINAL - Mountain of Myrrh

Way off in the distance,
She sees the mountain of myrrh.
She knows that her Beloved
Has already journeyed there and reached his destination.
Now she has to travel there her own way,
On her own path, in her own day.
She must encounter her own obstacles,
Climb cliffs of rejection and betrayal.
She must remain steady and endure until the end.
He has already warned her:
“This way is narrow. This road is lonely.
This path is marked with suffering.”

But she remembers that the warning also has a promise.
She reminds herself of it day after day
When she wants to quit and the road seems too long.
He told her that her heart is like myrrh:
The process of testing and suffering
Will crush the myrrh but cannot destroy it.
Instead, myrrh that is crushed
Releases the sweetest scent of all.
He promised, “If you come here, if you join Me
On the mountain of myrrh,
You will find yourself dizzy by the fragrance in the air.
We’ll share a breath-taking view together
That can’t be described in the lowlands.
It’s so high, so deep, and so wide
You can’t believe it until you see it for yourself.”

So she continues on her way,
Through the years and through the myriad of choices.
In the dark night of her soul when her faith is tested,
Each submission of her will, though imperfect
And weak, still releases
A tiny scent of suffering.
And like a homing device,
This bundle of myrrh worn next to her heart
Entices Him to leap over the mountains to find her.

Look! Here He comes!

Copyright © 2/28/04 by Kendra Lane Barrow. All rights reserved.
*********************************************

Song of Solomon 4:6 (New King James Version)
6 Until the day breaks
And the shadows flee away,
I will go my way to the mountain of myrrh
And to the hill of frankincense.

Isaiah 53:3, 10 (New Living Translation)
3 He was despised and rejected—
a man of sorrows, acquainted with deepest grief. We turned our backs on him and looked the other way. He was despised, and we did not care. 10 But it was the LORD’s good plan to crush him…

Philippians 3:10 (New International Version)
10I want to know Christ and the power of his resurrection and the fellowship of sharing in his sufferings, becoming like him in his death…

Song of Solomon 2:8 (The Message)
8-10 Look! Listen! There's my lover!
Do you see him coming?
Vaulting the mountains,
leaping the hills.

Additional Scriptures: Psalms 45:8, Song of Solomon 3:6, Hebrews 2:18, 1 Peter 4:12-13, and Song of Solomon 1:12-13.

PSALMS OF MYRRH #3 - What Remains

I am the candle that is burning;
I am the myrrh that has been crushed.
The very flame of God
Has torched my impurities:
My selfishness, my pride,
My domineering spirit,
My wants, my needs.

Beautiful Flame, come and burn away
All in my life that’s less than glory.
Remove the impure so that
Only love remains;
Diminish the scent of my will
So that only the fragrance of myrrh remains.

Copyright © 3/16/04 by Kendra Lane Barrow. All rights reserved.
**********************************************
Galatians 5:24 (New Living Translation)
24 Those who belong to Christ Jesus have nailed the passions and desires of their sinful nature to his cross and crucified them there.

Song of Solomon 8:6 (New International Version)
[Love] burns like blazing fire,
like a mighty flame.

Matthew 26:39 (New King James Version)
39 …[Jesus] prayed, saying, “O My Father, if it is possible, let this cup pass from Me; nevertheless, not as I will, but as You will.”

PSALMS OF MYRRH #2 - After the Breaking

Now the box of perfume is broken.
Let my fragrance rise to You.
May the scent of my longing
Fill this room and then ascend beyond,
Surrounding You in the heavenly places.
My praise is poured out before You like
Precious oil trickling through Your fingers.

Perfume is not made to be contained—
Your open hands allow
The scent of my love to ripen,
Like long awaited fruit.

The tender look on Your face,
Your long breath inward, and
Your pleased smile at my gift
Has made the breaking worthwhile.

Copyright © 4/05/03 by Kendra Lane Barrow. All rights reserved.
***********************************************

John 12:3 (New Living Translation)
3 Then Mary took a twelve-ounce jar of expensive perfume made from essence of nard, and she anointed Jesus’ feet with it, wiping his feet with her hair. The house was filled with the fragrance.

Song of Solomon 4:10, 13, 16 (New International Version)
[The King]
10 How delightful is your love, my sister, my bride!
How much more pleasing is your love than wine,
and the fragrance of your perfume than any spice!
13 Your [garden has] myrrh and aloes
and all the finest spices.

Beloved
16 Awake, north wind,
and come, south wind!
Blow on my garden,
that its fragrance may spread abroad…

Revelation 5:8 (Amplified Bible)
8And when He had taken the scroll, the four living creatures and the twenty-four elders [of the heavenly Sanhedrin] prostrated themselves before the Lamb. Each was holding a harp (lute or guitar), and they had golden bowls full of incense (fragrant spices and gums for burning), which are the prayers of God's people (the saints).

PSALMS OF MYRRH - Spiritual Practice for Psalm #1

The Bible has sections that are different genres such as stories, songs, poems, dreams, and descriptions of conversations.  One way to gain insight into the stories is to imagine your self in the scenario.  The following guided suggestions will walk you through the anointing of Jesus in Bethany.  There are three versions of this story, which can be found in Matthew 26, Mark 14, and John 12.

You are sitting in a dining room filled with people.  What is the appearance of the room?  What does it sound like?

A dinner has been prepared in Jesus’ honor.  What are the smells of the food preparation?

Imagine the stir as Jesus enters the room.  Where does He sit?  How do the other guests respond to Him?

Lazarus is at the table — the man raised from the dead.  What does it feel like to look at a living man whose funeral you attended? 

Martha, Lazarus’ sister, is serving the meal.  Notice the way she brings the food to the guests.  How does she carry herself?

Mary, Lazarus’ other sister, comes into the room.  She is carrying a jar of expensive perfume, worth a year’s wages.  She breaks open the jar and begins to anoint Jesus’ feet, as though she is His servant.  Spend time noticing the way she pours the fragrance on Him and the way she wipes His feet dry.  Is she crying?  What is the look on Jesus’ face at her gesture?

The house is filled with the fragrance.  Imagine the scent entering the room and how it grows as she anoints Him.  How long does the scent linger?

Some of the disciples are complaining.  Listen to their grumbling.  Imagine murmured agreement sweeping through the guests.  How does Mary feel at this moment?  How does Jesus respond to the complaints?

PSALMS OF MYRRH #1 - Anointing at Bethany

 Mary of Bethany came into

The room with the fragrance

Worth a year of wages.

She broke the box,

She poured out the oil,

She anointed Your head,

She anointed Your feet, and

She wiped them with her hair.

You said to the others,

“She has done a good work for me…

She has done what she could.”

Oh, that You would say the

Same of me.

I want to give You what only I can give.

May I be broken open and

My precious oil extravagantly

Poured out upon You.

May the fragrance rise and fill this house.

Copyright © 3/13/02 by Kendra Lane Barrow.  All rights reserved. Revised 9/13/10.

**********************************************************************************************************************************

Mark 14:6, 8 (New International Version)

 ⁶"Leave her alone," said Jesus. "Why are you bothering her? She has done a beautiful thing to me… ⁸She did what she could…”

John 12:1-3, 7-8 (New Living Translation)

 ¹ Six days before the Passover celebration began, Jesus arrived in Bethany, the home of Lazarus—the man he had raised from the dead. ² A dinner was prepared in Jesus’ honor. Martha served, and Lazarus was among those who ate with him. ³ Then Mary took a twelve-ounce jar of expensive perfume made from essence of nard, and she anointed Jesus’ feet with it, wiping his feet with her hair. The house was filled with the fragrance.

[One of the disciples complained, saying the perfume should have been sold and the proceeds given to the poor.]  ⁷ Jesus replied, “Leave her alone. She did this in preparation for my burial. ⁸ You will always have the poor among you, but you will not always have me.” 

INTRODUCTION to the PSALMS OF MYRRH

Sometimes God speaks to me through dreams.

In 2004, I had a dream that felt spiritual and significant; it seemed to symbolize events that would happen in my near future.  In the dream, I saw God put three seeds into my hand —

new seeds that He wanted to plant into the garden of my heart.  One of those seeds was suffering.

At the time, I was a bit confused.  What did the dream mean?  What kind of suffering would I face? 

Within a few months, I heard a teaching that gave me a new perspective on suffering and prepared me for the road ahead.  This pivotal teaching referred to the line in Song of Solomon 4:6 (New King James Version), “I will go my way to the mountain of myrrh.”  In this sermon’s interpretation, traveling to the mountain of myrrh is a metaphor for each person’s individual journey of life.  The mountain and the myrrh symbolize obstacles unique to each person’s path.  Overcoming these difficulties, and the process of learning and maturing from them, will be our own individual way to “share in his sufferings”, as described in Philippians 3:10 (New International Version).

God used this sermon to prepare me for an extremely difficult year that included miscarrying my first child.  I was desperate to be pregnant.   I cannot express the depth of my grief at the loss of this child.  Tears still well up at the thought of this little boy I have never held.  In all the scenarios I had envisioned in my mind regarding my dream, this was a suffering I did not expect.

Myrrh is a scent symbolic of suffering.  It was a spice commonly used for burial in New Testament times.  John 19:38-41 records it was used in Jesus’ own burial.  Myrrh’s fragrance is most released when the spice is crushed — an imagery which I used throughout this chapter in my attempts to grapple with the topics of sacrifice, suffering, loss, grief, death, burial, resurrection and redemption.

Song of Solomon 4:6 (New King James Version)

⁶ Until the day breaks
      And the shadows flee away,
      I will go my way to the mountain of myrrh
      And to the hill of frankincense.

A Mother's Prayer: Love Labors Toward Glory

My first-born came in the days of December when I was preparing my heart for Christmas. This is a mother's prayer...

*********************************************************************

Who for the joy set before me
Will endure the pain,
Spill my blood,
Spend myself,
And exhaust my strength.
For you,

I will despise the shame
Of my vulnerability;
I will expose my weaknesses
Before strangers.

I will not rest,
My labor will not cease,
Until the moment I sit down
With you at my breast.

Oh, Holy Spirit,
Groan with me.
Oh, Messiah Jesus,
Fellowship with me in my sufferings.
Oh, Father God,
Be glorified by my labors.

And oh, little one,
(heart strong from the very beginning)
know this:
You are wanted,
You are accepted,
And you are loved.

You are worth every moment
Of sickness, of stretching,
Of waiting, of groaning.
How I have longed to gather you in my arms,
Ached to smell your skin.

You are my beloved child.
I am yours and you are mine
For a season.
Each day: a gift, a privilege, a blessing.

When I finally awake,
And see your face with His,
I will be satisfied.

Copyright © 12/09/05 by Kendra Lane Barrow. All rights reserved.

(Based on Heb 12:2, Rom 8:26, Phil 3:10, John 17:1, Luke 13:34, Song 6:3, Ps 17:15)

A PSALM 146 PRAYER

This is an easy way to meditate on Scripture.  Take a Psalm and re-write it to be a prayer from you to God.  It makes it personal and by re-writing the words, it gives you more time to think about the meaning.
********************************************************************************

God, I will lift you up.  I will give you credit for all you have done.  I will sing and speak about you in a way that tells how amazing you are.

I will not put my trust in men who can disappoint me, who cannot save me.  Their plans will fall apart.

No instead, you are the one who helps me.  I put my hope in you, God of Jacob.  You are my God too.  You made heaven, the earth, and everything in them above and below.  You are the only one who is faithful forever.

You are the one who will give me justice.  You are the one who provides all I need.  You set prisoners free.  You set me free. 

My eyes were blind - but you have given me sight.  I am looking at a God who reaches down and lifts me up when I have fallen.  You watch over me, even when all else have left me behind.  For all time, all generations, you reign.  This is the God I will praise forever.

Copyright © 2012 by Kendra Lane Barrow.  All rights reserved.

RESCUE ME - Psalm 3

This is RESCUE ME, based on Psalm 3. 

Part A – My Prayer

Lord, I have more enemies than I can count!
All day long, I face
These temptations, these fears,
These frustrations, this loneliness.
I feel like ten thousand demands
Are pulling me apart!

Help!?

I want purpose.
I want destiny.
I want intimacy.
I want focus.
I want connection… with You.

I don’t want to feel closed off,
Trapped, or helpless.
These thoughts, these fears,
These demons whisper
That You won’t deliver me,
That You won’t come through.

What is true?

O God,
Get up from the place where You dwell
And come down to where I live—
My reality.

Arise! Get up!
Will You rescue me?



Part B – God’s Response

Child,
You do have enemies;
Even more than the ones you see.
Some have a face;
Some, like Fear, have a name.

Child, I am a shield around you.
Whether you know it or not,
I stand in front of you
And get the brunt of the attack.
I’ll take your bullets!

I’ll help you fight your enemies
Within and without.

I want to raise your chin
So you can look Me in the eyes
And see the tenderness
I have in My heart for you.

Put aside your fear, little one.
I will deliver you from your enemies.
I will strike them so hard,
They won’t know what hit them!

If you want to be rescued,
Look no further because
Victory belongs to Me.
I’m your Man!

Copyright © 2009 by Kendra Lane Barrow.  All rights reserved.

THE FEAST

The Young Woman –
I have wandered in a dry and weary land,
Looking for the words of life
That could nourish my soul.
I have known what it’s like to be
Empty and thirsty and hungry.
I’ve thirsted in the dry desert.
I’ve been lost in a “dark night of the soul”.
I’ve journeyed through years with no refuge
And no hope in sight.

The Beloved –
I am Your God.
All this time, you were really seeking Me.
Your soul was thirsty for Me.
Your flesh was longing for Me.
You were made to be loved
And your hunger for love
Can only be satisfied by Me.

The Young Woman –
Then hurry! 
Bring me to Your banqueting table.
I am weak from hunger for something real,
Starved for affection, faint with love.

The Beloved –
Come to Me.
I have a place ready for you at My table and
A banner with your name on it to reserve your seat.
I want to share with you My living words—
They have power to strengthen you.
My Word, inside you, can sustain you
For your life’s journey.
You can sink your teeth into My kind of truth!

Oh, taste and see that I am good!


Copyright © 7/18/04 by Kendra Lane Barrow.  All rights reserved.

*********************************************
Psalm 63:1, 5 (New International Version)

A psalm of David. When he was in the Desert of Judah.

1 O God, you are my God,
       earnestly I seek you;
       my soul thirsts for you,
       my body longs for you,
       in a dry and weary land
       where there is no water.

5 My soul will be satisfied as with the richest of foods…

Song of Solomon 2:3-5 and 5:8 (New International Version)
 3 Like an apple tree among the trees of the forest
       is my lover among the young men.
       I delight to sit in his shade,
       and his fruit is sweet to my taste.
 4 He has taken me to the banquet hall,
       and his banner over me is love.
 5 Strengthen me with raisins,
       refresh me with apples,
       for I am faint with love.
 8 O daughters of Jerusalem, I charge you—
       if you find my lover,
       what will you tell him?
       Tell him I am faint with love.

Psalm 34:8 (New King James Version)
 8 Oh, taste and see that the LORD is good;
         Blessed is the man who trusts in Him!

THE BEAUTIFUL KING

You are a man, but not just a man.
You are a king, but not just a king—The King of all Kings.
And this man, this King Jesus,
Is beautiful in every way.

You are great and glorious:
Wonderful in Your counsel,
Majestic in Your bearing,
Mighty in Your battle cry,
Humble in Your heart.

This King (who oversees all things)
Is content to walk in the garden of my heart.
This King (who holds all things together by His very words)
Loves to hear me pray.

O most beautiful King!
Draw me nearer and
Come close to me.
Hear my heart.
Receive my love.

Browse in my soul’s garden and look for what pleases You.
Gather the purest of my thoughts and desires for Yourself.
Smell the sweet fragrance of how my heart longs for You.
Let me know You as deeply as I am known by You.


Copyright © 2/17/02 by Kendra Lane Barrow.  All rights reserved.
****************************************

Isaiah 4:2, 9:6 (New King James Version)
    2 In that day the Branch of the LORD [Jesus, the  Messiah] shall be beautiful and glorious…

6 For unto us a Child is born,
      Unto us a Son is given;
      And the government will be upon His shoulder.
      And His name will be called
      Wonderful, Counselor, Mighty God,
      Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.

Song of Solomon 5:16b (New King James Version)
[The Young Woman]
16 …Yes, he is altogether lovely.
      This is my beloved,
      And this is my friend,
      O daughters of Jerusalem!

Song of Solomon 6:2-3 (New International Version)
[The Young Woman]
 2 My lover has gone down to his garden,
       to the beds of spices,
       to browse in the gardens
       and to gather lilies.
 3 I am my lover's and my lover is mine;
       he browses among the lilies.

TASTE AND SEE

See this—
    Your flame of love has changed me forever.
    Even in the night,
    I dream of You—
    Heart visions of the Brilliant Man.
    I ache for Your face,
    I yearn for Your gaze…
    Your eyes that see my brokenness
    And accept me anyway.

Hear this—
    My life’s song is only for You.
    I have awakened to longing.
    Desire and holy passion
    Have been set free at last.
    I am bound to You now
    As violin to bow,
    Root to earth,
    Unborn to mother’s cord.

Taste this—
    Your love is better than any wine;
Your vines older than time itself.
    My love is the new grape—
    An offering of the fresh, the young.
    I give to You what I have.
    My love can flavor Yours—
    The blend of our loves becomes sweeter together
    And the bouquet more complex.


Copyright © 10/21/03 by Kendra Lane Barrow.  All rights reserved. Revised 7/01/09.
*************************************

Psalm 34:8 (New King James Version)
 8 Oh, taste and see that the LORD is good;
         Blessed is the man who trusts in Him!


Psalm 42:1-2 (New Living Translation)
 1 As the deer longs for streams of water,
      so I long for you, O God.
 2 I thirst for God, the living God.
      When can I go and stand before him?


Psalm 63:6 (New International Version)
 6 On my bed I remember you;
       I think of you through the watches of the night.


Psalm 40:3a (New Living Translation)
 3 He has given me a new song to sing,
      a hymn of praise to our God.

DANCE WITH ME

Song of Solomon 2:10 (AMP)   My beloved speaks and says to me, Rise up, my love, my fair one, and come away...


Beloved God, You hold out
Your hand to me with an invitation
To dance.
With a vision for our future, You say,
“Come!  Come away with me!”

If I lean on You,
The more experienced partner, and
Listen for Your cues,
I will move in beautiful fellowship with You
And You with me.

You take the lead; I will follow.
Teach me the steps to the Song of all Songs.

Come! 
Let us escape the busyness of today
And run away to Your secret place—
The spot behind the thorns where the
Honey is the sweetest.

In that hidden and quiet place,
Dance with me
So that I can know You intimately.
Let’s practice over and over
Until I know Your moves by heart.

You lead; I follow.
Teach me to dance to the Song of all Songs.

I am Yours and You are mine forever!

(Copyright © 7/30/01 by Kendra Lane Barrow.  All rights reserved.
Revised 9/15/09.)
***********************************

Song of Solomon 8:14 (Amplified Bible)

14[Joyfully the radiant bride turned to him, the one altogether lovely, the chief among ten thousand to her soul, and with unconcealed eagerness to begin her life of sweet companionship with him, she answered] Make haste, my beloved, and come quickly, like a gazelle or a young hart [and take me to our waiting home] upon the mountains of spices!


Song of Solomon 2:14 (New King James Version)
[The King]

14 “ 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.”


Song of Solomon 6:3a (New King James Version)
[The Bride]

3 I am my beloved’s,
      And my beloved is mine.

COME AWAY WITH ME

Come Away with Me

Picture this:
A young girl in a garden — innocent and naive.
She’s beautiful but she doesn’t know it.
She has charms that she’s never used.
She’s just a simple girl – unnoticed by most –
Working in a garden, tending to the grapes.

The King discovers her there.
He sees in her what the others do not see.
He sees in her what she herself does not see:
A rose among thorns.  One of a kind.
Out of all the others, He wants her.
He pursues her.  He woos her.
He entreats her, “Rise up from the life that you know
And come away with Me.”

Picture this:
A girl in the dirt — tear-streaked smudges on her face.
She’s a failure and she knows it.
She’s used her charms in every way she knew how.
She manipulates and works the system.
She’s a woman with experience – a woman of the world.

The King discovers her in front of a mob,
Her secrets exposed to everyone.
He sees what the others and she herself does not see:
A “yes” in her heart – a desire for a better life.
She is a failure but He still wants her.
He entreats her, “Get up from the dirt. 
Leave behind your old life and your old ways
And come away with Me.”

Copyright © 9/12/10 by Kendra Lane Barrow.  All rights reserved.
********************************************
For the girl in the garden…

Song of Solomon 1:6 (New International Version)
[The Young Woman]
 6 … My [brothers] were angry with me
       and made me take care of the vineyards…

Song of Solomon 4:7, 9 (New Living Translation)
[The King]
 7 You are altogether beautiful, my darling,
      beautiful in every way.

 9 You have captured my heart,
      my treasure,  my bride.
   You hold it hostage with one glance of your eyes…


Song of Solomon 2:1-2, 10 (Amplified Bible)
 1[SHE SAID] I am only a little rose or autumn crocus of the plain of Sharon, or a [humble] lily of the valleys [that grows in deep and difficult places].
    2But Solomon replied, Like the lily among thorns, so are you, my love, among the daughters.
[The Young Woman]
10My beloved speaks and says to me, Rise up, my love, my fair one, and come away.

*************
For the girl in the dirt…

John 8:1-11 (New International Version)
   1But Jesus went to the Mount of Olives. 2At dawn he appeared again in the temple courts, where all the people gathered around him, and he sat down to teach them. 3The teachers of the law and the Pharisees brought in a woman caught in adultery. They made her stand before the group 4and said to Jesus, "Teacher, this woman was caught in the act of adultery. 5In the Law Moses commanded us to stone such women. Now what do you say?" 6They were using this question as a trap, in order to have a basis for accusing him.
    But Jesus bent down and started to write on the ground with his finger. 7When they kept on questioning him, he straightened up and said to them, "If any one of you is without sin, let him be the first to throw a stone at her." 8Again he stooped down and wrote on the ground.
    9At this, those who heard began to go away one at a time, the older ones first, until only Jesus was left, with the woman still standing there. 10Jesus straightened up and asked her, "Woman, where are they? Has no one condemned you?"
    11"No one, sir," she said.
      "Then neither do I condemn you," Jesus declared. "Go now and leave your life of sin."

INTRODUCTION TO THE SONG OF ALL SONGS

When I was a little girl, I was an avid reader with a vivid imagination and a head full of dreams for my future.  My favorite kinds of books contained adventure, mystery, and romance.  I loved the romantic fairytales because they usually combined all three.  The prince, or the King, would discover a young woman that he desired more than any other.  Even if she were poor and clothed in rags, he would see her value.  He would overcome great obstacles to rescue her and claim her as his own.  They would fall in love; they would marry; they would live happily ever after.  What little girl doesn’t want that fairytale to happen to her?

Fast-forward twenty years:  I was a young woman, divorced, no career, no children, no home, and not even a car.  I was not living the life of my dreams.  Happily ever after seemed like a cruel joke.

It was this jaded and disappointed young woman who “returned to the Lord” as I described in the last chapter and began to experience restoration.  Could God restore my dreams of romance as well?  I wasn’t sure.  Then I discovered a story in the Bible: of great adventure, mystery upon mystery, and true romance. 

Growing up in a church, I was familiar with the passages in Revelation describing the Church – all the followers of Jesus – as the Bride of Christ.  I’d read John 3:29, where John the Baptist describes himself as a friend of the bridegroom, referring to Jesus as the bridegroom.  Honestly, I had thought that imagery was found in only a few isolated passages.  But after I listened to some teachings on the Sacred Romance -- Jesus Christ as the Bridegroom and His church as the Bride of Christ -- I began finding this theme throughout the whole Bible.  For example, Hosea 2:16 (New International Version) says, "In that day," declares the LORD, "you will call me 'my husband'; you will no longer call me 'my master.'”  And Isaiah 62:5 (New Living Translation) describes, “Then God will rejoice over you as a bridegroom rejoices over his bride.”

I recognize that it is very difficult to wrap your brain around this concept — especially if it is unfamiliar to you.  As I studied Scriptures related to this concept, I had some deep and intimate revelation about how Jesus loves me and how I was created to love Him.  The more I understood this on a personal level, the easier it was for me to understand it on the grander scale of Jesus loving His Church, the Bride of Christ.

This book can’t address all the layers of the Sacred Romance story, but I’ve included a few devotionals on the topic in hopes it will whet your appetite for more understanding.  The story of the Sacred Romance is not just a story — it’s real!  No matter who you are or where you’ve been, He wants you.  He will pursue you and wants you for His very own.  At the heart of the greatest story ever told is a song.  You can find the “Song of All Songs” in Song of Solomon 6:3 (New King James Version), “I am my beloved’s and my beloved is mine.”  

Copyright © 12/2010 by Kendra Lane Barrow.  All rights reserved

THIS IS WHY

This is Why

Copyright © 3/26/09 by Kendra Lane Barrow.  All rights reserved. Revised 9/10/10.

I’ve been through the desert.

I’ve lived in that place —

So barren, so dry —

That I wondered if I would ever drink again.

I saw mirages, fantasies.

I thought, “Maybe this will satisfy.

Maybe this will be enough.”

But that person,

That situation always disappointed.

So I got on my face and repented.

I decided to turn to You as my only source of comfort.

And somehow — though it was a long and weary night —

I came through on the other side.  With You.

I am the one coming up from the desert

leaning on my Beloved.

I once was lost and You found me.

I once was blind and You gave me eyes to see.

Jesus, this is why I love You.

This is why I trust You:

You love me.

*******************************************************************************

Psalm 63:1 (New International Version)

 ¹ O God, you are my God,
       earnestly I seek you;
       my soul thirsts for you,
       my body longs for you,
       in a dry and weary land
       where there is no water.

Song of Solomon 8:5 (New King James Version)

    ⁵ Who is this coming up from the wilderness,
      Leaning upon her beloved?

1 John 4:19 (New King James Version)

¹⁹ We love Him because He first loved us.

Excerpt from A LIVING JESUS

This is an excerpt from the first lesson of the newest kids series that I'm writing.  I've taken each Bible passage where Jesus talks ABOUT children and tell it as a story of Jesus interacting WITH children.  Introducing Josiah and Hannah, a brother and sister who meet Jesus:


"...So he said to them, ‘Let the little children come to me. Don’t stop them, because God’s kingdom belongs to people who are like these little children'...


Hannah and Josiah were two of the children that Jesus held on his lap that day.  Now we are going to pretend to be there.  If you are a girl, you are going to pretend that you are Hannah, sitting on one of Jesus’ knees.  If you are a boy, you are going to pretend that you are Josiah, sitting on Jesus’ other knee. 
 
Now I want everyone to close your eyes and use your imagination.  Imagine that you feel Jesus’ soft robe underneath you.  Imagine that you feel Jesus’ strong arms around you.  Imagine feeling Jesus’ scratchy beard above you.  Imagine hearing the sound of the river behind you.  In your mind, look around and see what everything was like to Hannah and Josiah on that day.

Now I want you to imagine that you look right into Jesus’ eyes.  Notice how he looks back at you and smiles and blesses you.  (Give a brief pause.)  OK, now very slowly, you can open your eyes again. What did you notice about Jesus?  What did you see or hear in your imagination?"

Copyright © 8/2012 by Kendra Lane Barrow.  All rights reserved.