A Love Story
She was innocent once upon a time. She was pure and naïve, and untainted by the corruption of humanity. She used to long for a father’s affection. Her heart would melt with the warm hug of her daddy’s arms. Before bed every night she would stand on her twin-sized bed, waiting for her goodnight kiss. And every night he would tuck her in and wish her sweet dreams. In the morning he would flip on her light switch and even though she hated waking up, she was comforted to hear his voice telling her to get ready for school. Once upon a time, she was this little girl.
Something happened over the years. Maybe it was conflicting schedules, or maybe it was the uncomfortable stage of adolescence. Slowly the goodnight kisses became fewer and further between. Nights out with friends replaced family conversations over dinner. She would spend most of her days in the library and most of her nights alone in her room. Soon she found herself living with strangers she once knew as her family, four shells of four people under a single roof.
Lonely and seemingly forgotten, she began reaching out for affection whenever and wherever she could. She craved the compliments and affirmation her girlfriends gave her. But soon emotional affirmation wasn’t enough. She needed more. She needed to feel desired and special. And some days, she just wanted to be noticed.
As this innocent girl matured into a young lady, she slowly discovered that the guys she once knew as little boys began taking notice of her. She saw the way they looked at her with interested eyes and it made her feel good. It made her feel important. She had something they wanted.
She was 14 when she had her first kiss. She was nervous, but he reassured her and told her she was doing just fine. He told her he loved her more than anyone he’d ever met. Her heart melted. Her very first boyfriend! He was older than her, and a varsity football player who hung out with the “cool” crowd. It felt good to ditch the city library for high school parties. Her skin would tingle when he reached out to hold her hand. His smooth words and calming touch comforted her lonely heart.
But alas, as in the fate of all high school puppy loves, eventually this relationship ended and the young girl was left empty. Along with the breakup, a piece of her soul was torn away. The hole in her heart throbbed for love and affection again. She yearned to be loved and she needed to feel it in a tangible way.
Soon, she found another guy who smiled at her in the same way as the first. He told her he loved her just like the first. His arms replaced her loneliness. He showered her with affection and she generously poured out her love over him. To him, she gave herself away intimately, believing that her purity was the greatest gift she could give a guy she loved. But he took her innocence and abused it. He accused her of lying when she confessed she had never given herself to anyone before. That cold night she lost her innocence, he dressed himself and went home, not a single word uttered. No phone calls. No explanations. She was left hurt, confused, and completely empty.
And so she learned to treat her body carelessly. She decided that if the one guy she gave her innocence to could handle her with such disregard, intimacy was truly no big deal. Before she could think twice, she met another guy who was showering her with the affirmation the last guy had withheld. He said her name and she melted. She felt like someone special in his arms. This time it was even easier to give him the intimacy he desired because she had already done it once before.
Of course this relationship didn’t last either. They parted, she found another guy, and the cycle continued month after month, year after year. Some relationships would be short while others spanned over a few years. However long, however short, she was caught in a spiral that never ended. With each relationship that passed, she tore pieces of herself away. She poured more and more of her love out until her cup became dry. Her heart was spent. She was exhausted and she had no more of herself to give.
Years later, her purity destroyed and her heart ripped to shreds, she found herself on the floor weeping. An endless pool of tears flowed down her cheeks. Her clothes, once white as snow, were now tattered rags. Her eyes, once lit with innocence, now reflected the sorrow of her hurting soul. Her skin, once radiant and smooth, was now bruised and scarred with each wound she had received.. A waterfall of tears cascaded through the dam built up against the pain of her past. Her broken spirit wept for all the times she had given herself away only to be tossed aside. She cried for each heart break. She mourned every betrayal. And when she was finished, she looked up. A new Man was holding her hand.
He smiled at her gently without saying a word. He simply brushed her tears away with His fingertips. She flinched, her wounds throbbing. Slowly and carefully, this Man placed bandages on the young girl’s cuts. He kissed each bruise and wrapped them with gauze. Warily, she watched Him. She prepared herself to run away from Him at any sign that He would hurt her. But He only treated her with the gentlest touch. And so He stayed around while she got to know Him. As weeks passed, she found herself conversing with Him more, confiding in Him more, trusting Him more. She let Him cleanse her hurts. She listened as He reminded her that she was beautiful and worthy, both inside and out. She even began to believe Him when He told her He loved her and His love was everlasting. After a while, her face reflected a smile again. Soon the pain in her soul was replaced by love, and her broken spirit was strengthened. One by one, each heart break was forgiven. And one by one, she retrieved the lost pieces of her soul.
One day she glanced in the mirror and she didn’t recognize the reflection looking back at her. Her tattered rags were gone. From head to toe, she was dressed in brilliant white robes. Her wounds were completely healed and her once-scarred skin was now soft and smooth. In the depth of her eyes were jewels of joy. Her smile sparkled with love. And in her maturity, somehow, a purity and innocence remained. As she looked into the mirror again, her eyes began to tear in gratitude as she saw the One who had been with her throughout her transformation. She saw the One who had been holding her hand through everything.
* * * * * * *
Today, this little girl is still afraid to feel. But now she knows love still exists. She is still afraid of getting hurt. But now she knows that wounds can be healed. She is still afraid of being broken. But now she knows the One who gives her strength in her brokenness. And most of all, she believes in Love; a Love that brings healing, a Love that gives hope for heavenly endings, and a Love that is far greater than any pain in this world.
Something happened over the years. Maybe it was conflicting schedules, or maybe it was the uncomfortable stage of adolescence. Slowly the goodnight kisses became fewer and further between. Nights out with friends replaced family conversations over dinner. She would spend most of her days in the library and most of her nights alone in her room. Soon she found herself living with strangers she once knew as her family, four shells of four people under a single roof.
Lonely and seemingly forgotten, she began reaching out for affection whenever and wherever she could. She craved the compliments and affirmation her girlfriends gave her. But soon emotional affirmation wasn’t enough. She needed more. She needed to feel desired and special. And some days, she just wanted to be noticed.
As this innocent girl matured into a young lady, she slowly discovered that the guys she once knew as little boys began taking notice of her. She saw the way they looked at her with interested eyes and it made her feel good. It made her feel important. She had something they wanted.
She was 14 when she had her first kiss. She was nervous, but he reassured her and told her she was doing just fine. He told her he loved her more than anyone he’d ever met. Her heart melted. Her very first boyfriend! He was older than her, and a varsity football player who hung out with the “cool” crowd. It felt good to ditch the city library for high school parties. Her skin would tingle when he reached out to hold her hand. His smooth words and calming touch comforted her lonely heart.
But alas, as in the fate of all high school puppy loves, eventually this relationship ended and the young girl was left empty. Along with the breakup, a piece of her soul was torn away. The hole in her heart throbbed for love and affection again. She yearned to be loved and she needed to feel it in a tangible way.
Soon, she found another guy who smiled at her in the same way as the first. He told her he loved her just like the first. His arms replaced her loneliness. He showered her with affection and she generously poured out her love over him. To him, she gave herself away intimately, believing that her purity was the greatest gift she could give a guy she loved. But he took her innocence and abused it. He accused her of lying when she confessed she had never given herself to anyone before. That cold night she lost her innocence, he dressed himself and went home, not a single word uttered. No phone calls. No explanations. She was left hurt, confused, and completely empty.
And so she learned to treat her body carelessly. She decided that if the one guy she gave her innocence to could handle her with such disregard, intimacy was truly no big deal. Before she could think twice, she met another guy who was showering her with the affirmation the last guy had withheld. He said her name and she melted. She felt like someone special in his arms. This time it was even easier to give him the intimacy he desired because she had already done it once before.
Of course this relationship didn’t last either. They parted, she found another guy, and the cycle continued month after month, year after year. Some relationships would be short while others spanned over a few years. However long, however short, she was caught in a spiral that never ended. With each relationship that passed, she tore pieces of herself away. She poured more and more of her love out until her cup became dry. Her heart was spent. She was exhausted and she had no more of herself to give.
Years later, her purity destroyed and her heart ripped to shreds, she found herself on the floor weeping. An endless pool of tears flowed down her cheeks. Her clothes, once white as snow, were now tattered rags. Her eyes, once lit with innocence, now reflected the sorrow of her hurting soul. Her skin, once radiant and smooth, was now bruised and scarred with each wound she had received.. A waterfall of tears cascaded through the dam built up against the pain of her past. Her broken spirit wept for all the times she had given herself away only to be tossed aside. She cried for each heart break. She mourned every betrayal. And when she was finished, she looked up. A new Man was holding her hand.
He smiled at her gently without saying a word. He simply brushed her tears away with His fingertips. She flinched, her wounds throbbing. Slowly and carefully, this Man placed bandages on the young girl’s cuts. He kissed each bruise and wrapped them with gauze. Warily, she watched Him. She prepared herself to run away from Him at any sign that He would hurt her. But He only treated her with the gentlest touch. And so He stayed around while she got to know Him. As weeks passed, she found herself conversing with Him more, confiding in Him more, trusting Him more. She let Him cleanse her hurts. She listened as He reminded her that she was beautiful and worthy, both inside and out. She even began to believe Him when He told her He loved her and His love was everlasting. After a while, her face reflected a smile again. Soon the pain in her soul was replaced by love, and her broken spirit was strengthened. One by one, each heart break was forgiven. And one by one, she retrieved the lost pieces of her soul.
One day she glanced in the mirror and she didn’t recognize the reflection looking back at her. Her tattered rags were gone. From head to toe, she was dressed in brilliant white robes. Her wounds were completely healed and her once-scarred skin was now soft and smooth. In the depth of her eyes were jewels of joy. Her smile sparkled with love. And in her maturity, somehow, a purity and innocence remained. As she looked into the mirror again, her eyes began to tear in gratitude as she saw the One who had been with her throughout her transformation. She saw the One who had been holding her hand through everything.
* * * * * * *
Today, this little girl is still afraid to feel. But now she knows love still exists. She is still afraid of getting hurt. But now she knows that wounds can be healed. She is still afraid of being broken. But now she knows the One who gives her strength in her brokenness. And most of all, she believes in Love; a Love that brings healing, a Love that gives hope for heavenly endings, and a Love that is far greater than any pain in this world.