'come away with me..'

Baby Pearl and I arrived at the 'full term' mile marker this week!!  I must admit, the occasion wasn't quite as monumental as anticipated.  I suppose I was braced for an immediate onslaught of contractions once we rounded that last bend of the pregnancy journey.  But, alas, he is still perfectly content in his womb cocoon.  And, of course, I do want him to reside there as long as possible; I'm just feeling very eager to meet this little man!
I continue to crave FRUIT but thanks to Derek's jobs, this is easy to remedy.  This week alone he brought home mangos, figs, a pineapple and some lilikoi!  He also brought home a jack fruit, which was quite the experience!  Apparently, it wasn't quite ripe enough and all we got out of it was a sticky sap that got all over everything, including Kai!  Poor pup even had it on his paws and we had to bust out the peanut butter to clean his fur.  I don't think he minded, though!  Plus, the pooch can sense that we are on the verge of a drastic change and he's been utilizing every excuse for extra attention.
Although 37 weeks feels surprisingly similar to all the other weeks we've gone through, it did initiate a strong dose of my friend, Mr. Nesting Instinct!  Our apartment is now sparkling in places that will never even see the light of day!  I've done several loads of baby laundry and decided this task may very well be my new favorite 'chore'.  Miniature clothes and world's softest blankets are an absolute pleasure to fold.  (No guarantees on whether this fondness will continue once cloth diapers are added to the mix...)  With the completion of our beautiful cradle from an 'Uncle' at church we are officially READY to welcome our son home.  Now we simply continue with life as normal until the little man decides it's time!

[ready for Baby!!]

As long as my weed whacker harness still fits around this baby belly I'll do what I can in the endless battle with coffee farm weeds.  As always, I love the empowering feeling that comes with the conquering of each row and each section of field.  Right now that conquering is actually an impressive feat.  It would be ridiculous to compare this week's weeds to those we first encountered here, BUT there are some as tall as me right now!  I even encountered a few of the thick, 'gnarly' ones that have to be pulled out by hand.
Of course it would be ideal if we did the whacking more often, keeping the weeds a bit tamer.  But that's not exactly first priority these days.  Derek's landscaping business is blossoming and we are amazed at the ways God continually provides!  Apart from selling the occasional bag of coffee, these landscaping jobs supply our income.  That means farm maintenance is squeezed into the schedule whenever the other work is done.  The weeds aren't going anywhere, so it's not a big deal, they just become a bit more of a challenge the longer we let them grow!

[37 weeks!!]

'Here I am! I stand at the door and knock.'  This verse from Revelation 3:20 is quite often used as a call to those who are lost; Jesus is knocking, let Him into your life!  But this verse was actually written to a church, a body of believers!!  The highlight of my week was being able to dig into this a bit more, via Song of Solomon, and that's what I want to leave you with.. a bit of my discovery!
Song of Solomon is a beautiful description of a king who is desperately in love and chasing after his soon-to-be bride.  He is wooing her, courting her and they eventually marry and enjoy a wonderful night together.  But then we read that he is coming to her in the morning, asking her to 'come away with him' (2:10).  'The rain is gone', it's a gorgeous day and he wants to spend it with her; he longs to see her smile, hear her laugh.  The king wants to show off all his favorite spots; climb mountains with her and swim in the ocean together!  This makes my heart race.  But the response of the bride is such a let down.  My interpretation of her words: 'You're mine and I'm yours and that's great, but it's way too early for such nonsense.  You go ahead.. I'll catch up later.'  (2:16-17)  Uh oh..
This is where the Revelation verse ties in.  We are the bride, we are those who can say with confidence 'I am my Beloved's and He is mine.'  Yet, so often Jesus is left outside the door, knocking, while we continue to live 'our' life in ways we deem best.  He calls to us 'Let me in, my love, I have much to show you!'  But our response is less than enthusiastic.

The study I'm reading through describes the bridegroom as coming to the bride with hair 'wet with dew' (5:2) because he's been out gathering the lost, loving on those that are dirty and broken.  He wants her to join with him in this incredible mission to save the world.  The bride's response leaves quite a bit to be desired, though- 'Oh, I just took off my robe.  Do I have to put it back on?  My feet are freshly washed, are you really asking me to dirty them?'  (5:3)
God is calling to me on a DAILY basis to come away with Him, to delve into all that He has to show me.  He longs for me to step into the specific roles He has already prepared for me, to partner with Him in changing the world.  The Spirit whispers to me 'Let go of your expectations for the day, I have much greater plans for us.. if only you'll let Me lead.'  May I recognize His call, fling the door open and respond with much greater enthusiasm than I have in the past.  May I realize that nothing else matters more!  I AM my Beloved's and He is mine; instead of taking that for granted, may this knowledge make me quick to answer as I hear the King calling 'Come away with me..'