[ The Exodus ]

Entries from June 2008

Calloused.

June 22, 2008 · 2 Comments

I think something happens to a woman when she isn’t romanced enough.

We become bitter, and really critical of romantic things. We groan about Valentine’s Day, and complain about how we don’t have boyfriends.

Then we talk about our friends that do have boyfriends. We pick at them for spending too much time with them, or talk about how much they show too much displays of affection around people.

We scoff at romance movies like 27 Dresses. We get a little nauseated by happy endings. We roll our eyes at hopeless romantic teenagers.

But when in fact, its out of pure jealously we do this. I know I’m guilty of it.

I had become calloused.

I joked a little about being a “Bachelorette until the Rapture”. But I know that’s a lie I tell myself to try and deal with this feeling.

We are just upset that we have been waiting so long for our own happy ending. We just want to feel the newness of being pursued. Because a lot of us haven’t felt that in a long time… a really long time.

We miss the butterflies when you hold our hands, and late night phone calls…

I went to a wedding a while ago …and was reminded of how much of a hopeless romantic I am… no matter the lies I tell myself.

I saw the look of pure joy and love on my friend’s face when he saw his bride glide across the grass. Then something stirred in my heart again … I wanted someone to look at me like that.

Later that night we made our way to the reception, where there was dancing.

I, again, forgotten how much I love dancing. Though I really can’t dance at all, I love it.

But then there are bad memories of high school dances, standing in a line of girls against a wall. Waiting and praying for him to pick me. But there was always a crushing reality, that he never seemed to pick me.

But not this time.

There is something that blooms deep within a girl’s heart when a guy asks her to dance. We feel beautiful as he spins us across the floor. No matter how goofy of a dancer she is, or how bad he is, she feels like she is on top of the world.

As he twirled me, I felt the hopeless romantic knock on my door and introduce herself back into my life.

So here lately, I listen a little more to Sinatra, Buble and good ol’ Dean. Rather than being bitter and wishing someone would sing these romantic songs to me, I simply enjoy the future hope that maybe, one day, I might get to dance with you.

I close my eyes and a smile comes across my face thinking of you, as I hear Sinatra belt out,

“And that laugh that wrinkles your nose, it touches my foolish heart …Keep that breathless charm. Wont you please arrange it? Because I love you, just the way you look tonight.”

Categories: Uncategorized

Dress Up.

June 21, 2008 · 1 Comment

The oversized heels clacked loudly on the wooden floors in my home. I shuffled through halls, searching for the final addition. The necklaces that hung around my neck draped down to my knees. The bright green blouse fell loose. The sleeves covered my hands.

At last, I found it.

I grabbed for the bright red lip stick and smeared it haphazardly onto my lips.

The perfect touch…

But that was then… and this is now.

Tomorrow is the big day. I get to live the 9 to 5 American life. I get to drive in 8 o’clock traffic in the morning. Then drive home in 5 o’clock traffic.

Hopefully I won’t be crunched into some small cubicle with four other interns. I hope I don’t end up eating my sand which alone in the bathroom. I hope being in an office all day doesn’t crush my creativity.

Gosh. It’s like high school all over again. Except this time, it’s for real.

I don’t know why I’ve been so anxious lately. I mean, it is my first job. Ever. I know I can do it But there is always that voice in the back of my mind.

Doubt and fear have been rearing their ugly heads, and whispering not-so-sweet things in my ear.

I know better than to worry about nothing. If birds and flowers survive, then I’ll make it okay. But I know that God didn’t open this door for nothing. I know that He has a plan for all of this

You knew how You would save me before I fell dead in the garden. You knew this day long before You made me out of dirt. That He can’t plan the ends, with out planning the means.

I got to keep pressing into Jesus.

The woman was dressed for business. She wore a white button-down blouse, with a pencil skirt and black high heels with briefcase around her shoulder. Hair pulled back, as her bangs fell over her left eye. She brushed them back slowly.

I took a second glance at the mirror and realized that the woman… was me.

I can look the part, but I guess I still feel like I’m just a kid playing dress up. Except this time, the shoes actually fit.

The oversized heels clacked loudly on the wooden floors in my home. I shuffled through halls, searching for the final addition. The necklaces that hung around my neck draped down to my knees. The bright green blouse fell loose. The sleeves covered my hands.

At last, I found it.

I grabbed for the bright red lip stick and smeared it haphazardly onto my lips.

The perfect touch…

But that was then… and this is now.

Tomorrow is the big day. I get to live the 9 to 5 American life. I get to drive in 8 o’clock traffic in the morning. Then drive home in 5 o’clock traffic.

Hopefully I won’t be crunched into some small cubicle with four other interns. I hope I don’t end up eating my sand which alone in the bathroom. I hope being in an office all day doesn’t crush my creativity.

Gosh. It’s like high school all over again. Except this time, it’s for real.

I don’t know why I’ve been so anxious lately. I mean, it is my first job. Ever. I know I can do it But there is always that voice in the back of my mind.

Doubt and fear have been rearing their ugly heads, and whispering not-so-sweet things in my ear.

I know better than to worry about nothing. If birds and flowers survive, then I’ll make it okay. But I know that God didn’t open this door for nothing. I know that He has a plan for all of this

You knew how You would save me before I fell dead in the garden. You knew this day long before You made me out of dirt. That He can’t plan the ends, with out planning the means.

I got to keep pressing into Jesus.

The woman was dressed for business. She wore a white button-down blouse, with a pencil skirt and black high heels with briefcase around her shoulder. Hair pulled back, as her bangs fell over her left eye. She brushed them back slowly.

I took a second glance at the mirror and realized that the woman… was me.

I can look the part, but I guess I still feel like I’m just a kid playing dress up. Except this time, the shoes actually fit.

Categories: Uncategorized