Lover (Part 3 of 3)

"Why, Dad? Why did he choose Her?! I chose Her first! She's mine!" The Son could hardly stand still. His eyes were wet with tears. He finally was able to talk to Her, but all She said was, "That isn't my name. My name is Harlot," every time He addressed Her. She wouldn't let Him speak. She wouldn't let Him explain. She was only caught up in the foul, loathsome thief. She called to him like he was Her lover. How could she not remember the love He had given Her first?

"Patience, My Son," His Father said calmly. "She will see your love for Her. She will know how much you care." The Son nodded at His Father and sighed deeply. He, then, walked away to try and find Her again. "Be careful, My Son. That beast is looking for a way to make you fall."

The Son knew this. In fact, the loathsome creature had already tried. The Son neared the water's edge and looked up, as He had every day before. He searched far and wide for Her, and, at last, He spotted Her. She sat near the water, only 100 yards away, and the foul beast was no where to be seen. The Son walked over to Her in order to talk, but as He neared, the beautiful Woman looked up with tears in Her eyes. "Go away!" She screamed at Him. "Look what talking to you gets Me!" She showed Him Her arms and legs. He saw bruises spotted over them, and, He too, began to cry. "Why are you crying?" She asked harshly. "These are not your burdens, nor are they from your hand. I disobeyed my lover, my Cad. This is my just reward!"

The Son listened in horror at Her warped and twisted words. "No. It isn't your just reward," He said quietly. "You deserve more, my--"

"DO NOT SAY THAT NAME!" She was yelling again. "My name is Harlot! I am not that foul name you say!" She stood up quickly, then, and ran off into the wood. Her sobs and cries of anguish came loud through the trees.
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"It is time, Father! He is hurting Her. That foul beast is beating Her! I cannot stand it! Let me go and claim My Bride!" The events of that afternoon hurt the Son deep in His chest. It brought out feelings of pain and anger so deep, that He wasn't sure that they were His feelings.

"Yes, Son. It is time. You are ready, but remember this: You cannot touch him. You may only touch the Woman. Go, now, and be strong, My Son. She will love you."

The Son, determined now, ran back out towards the water. His anger and desire and jealousy pushed Him to the breaking point, but He ran faster still. He was weakened when He found Her, yet, He knew He could do this. For Her. For His Father.

"Why have you come back?" The tears still had not stopped flowing down Her cheeks, and now, there was blood on cheek as well. "He will only beat Me again! Do you delight in my pain?"

The question startled the Son. "No! Far from it!" It was time to tell Her. "I hate Your pain, more than My own. I despise Your tears of sorrow. As to why I am back, I have come back for You." He let that statement sink in for Her. "I have come to take You home, away from the beast you call Cad. He does not love or deserve you, but I do. I love You more than My life. Your redemption has always been My purpose." A smile came across His face as He said those last words, for He had an idea. A pleasant idea, but it had to be done quickly. "You, Beloved, are My Prize! You are what I will gladly die for." The Woman said nothing. She stared at the Son in shock at His bold words. At that moment, He matched His bold words with a bold, unexpected action. He took Her in His arms and kissed Her lips. All the passion He had saved up came through in this moment.
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Harlot couldn't believe her ears. He loved her? What she had always desired was true? She was in shock. She couldn't believe it. Was that how He truly saw her? As His Beloved? He couldn't, though! She was dirty. Unclean. A harlot. How could He love her? She looked into His deep eyes and found herself drowning in them. The desire was there. The fervor for her she could clearly see. He really would forgive anything and do anything for her. She knew she didn't deserve Him, but she wanted Him. The next thing she knew, He had her wrapped in His arms and His lips were pressed tightly against hers. The joy of that moment surpassed all of the pain she had ever felt. She felt at home in His arms.

The kiss was cut off too quickly. He smiled wildly at her. She smiled back at Him. She knew, now, her Lover. As soon as she thought the word concerning Him, her mind filled with images that she did not recognize. The one that lingered the longest was one of her in His arms again, but she was without clothes as when she first awoke. His smooth voice said quietly to her, "Wait for me, here. I will return for you." Realization hit her between her eyes. He was calling for her when she first awoke! He had always loved her and had searched and fought for her the whole time! Her mouth dropped open in surprise and understanding, but He just smiled wider.

A rough voice cut through the quiet. "What are you doing with HIM?!" She turned to see Cad walking towards them, visibly furious. "Leave Her alone, beast," the velvet voice said. "She is mine and She always has been." The color of Cad's face turned a deeper red to an almost black. A snarl ripped from Cad's chest and his eyes turned black. He pulled a knife out from behind his back at leapt at her. The knife was aiming right for her, but she soon only felt the grass on her back. She looked back to where she was standing to see Him, her Lover with the knife sticking out of His chest. Blood poured from His wound and covered the ground below Him. He looked at her and smiled. "I told you I would die for you. Wait for me, Beloved." Then He fell to the ground, dead.

A scream of pure agony ripped from her chest, but it was coupled by a scream much rougher and another so loud and painful that it shook the Earth. It was as though the earth was crying for justice. After her scream broke off, she looked and saw Cad as he truly is. Dead black skin with dead red eyes. All his beauty was stripped away leaving him exposed. She stared in horror at him and saw the pain in his dead eyes. He turned and ran away. He seemed afraid to be in this place any longer. After he entered the cover of the trees, she turned her eyes and attention back to her Lover. Tears, once more, fell from her eyes. Sobs broke loose from her chest. A calm, soothing voice reached her, "Do not weep, Daughter. For He will return for you. He died to free you so that you could live to love Him."

After these words were spoken, the wind blew and her pain eased. She raised her face into the breeze and welcomed it on her cheeks. After the breeze died away, she looked back down to her Lover's body, but it was not there. The pool of blood stayed and the knife had been removed, but the body was gone. Panic gripped her and she began to cry once more. She had only just remembered her Lover, but now, He was dead and she couldn't even bury the body.

"Don't cry," a softer, gentler voice said. "Everything is right, now." She turned to look at the voice. She felt her whole body lift off the ground. He was there! Her Lover HAD come back. "How," she asked suddenly. "You were dead! How are you here now?"

"I had to die. If I didn't, you would still not be free. My Father looked upon My sacrifice with favor. I did it correctly. I did it for My Beloved." He bent down and kissed her again softly. "Now, and I know this will seem cruel, but I must go. I must see to Our house. I want it to be perfect for you, My Beloved. My Bride. Wait for Me, here. Do not forget Me!" Then, He disappeared.

She didn't have time to agree or to protest, but she knew she would remember Him. How could she not? So, she waited, not always patiently, but she waited. Men came by, but she did not notice them. Her eyes were fixed on where her Lover said to wait. Time passed, but she hardly noticed. She was fixated upon her Lover. One morning, she awoke as the sun came rose across the water. She stretched her arms and stood to stretch her legs. Then, the voice she had waited for spoke, "Hello, My Beloved. It is time. Come, My Wife, let Us go home." She grabbed His outstretched hand, pulled Him close, kissed His lips, and said, "Yes, My Lover, My Husband. I am ready to go home."

They turned and walked towards the sun, across the water, and went home.

"Husbands, love your wives as Christ loved the Church and gave Himself up for Her."
- Ephesians 5:25. Bottom line: The Church is the Bride of Christ and He died to set us free so that we could live to love Him.