GUEST POSTER

I know you all have missed the last 2 weeks of Blogging, and to tell you quite honestly, so have I.  However, auditions and school have been getting the better of me, so I actually asked my roommate if I could borrow some of her thoughts for today.  While it is not reflective of this week gospel, it is still amazing, and maybe even more pertinent to ideals of today.  I invite you to read Jolie Milligan's thoughts entitled "I am a prostitue":

I thought the title might intrigue you...

I may not be a prostitute literally but figuratively I'm as used as they come.

My all time favorite book in the bible is Hosea.  I wouldn't call it the most well known or the most read... but it should be.  Despite it's rough edges and hard to swallow accusations there lies a beautiful truth.  

If you are feeling:

Unworthy

Unwanted

Unloved

Heavy

Ashamed

You should read it.

Let me break it down for you.  Hosea is a minor prophet, one of the last in the Old Testament. God asked Hosea to do something crazy; marry a prostitute.  Hosea did it.  He trusted the Lord and took a leap.  He fell MADLY in love with a less than reputable girl named Gomer.  Things were going really well. She seemed to be done with her previous lifestyle... and they had a couple of kids.  God was very specific as to what Gomer and Hosea were to name their children:

Lo-Ruhamah (Not loved)

Lo-Ammi (Not my people)

Hmm... interesting names... can you imagine what Hosea's friends and neighbors must have thought about this!

"Hosea is off his rocker! First he says Gods speaking to him... then he marries that prostitute... now this!? Poor guy, lost his mind!"

Gomer got sick of the home-life and ran off with another man.  Hosea was devastated.  Heart broken. Depressed.  Can you imagine? Someone God chose for you, someone you loved deeply, passionately, someone you would lay down your life for turns their back on you and leaves.  

Hosea is so in love with this woman that he even gives her new lover money to take care of her.  All he wants is for her to be happy.  

So why would God put Hosea through all this agony? To prove a very important point. 

During this time Israel (the people) had been less than faithful to God.  God had gotten down on his knee and asked Israel to be His bride.  She willing accepted this covenant and was so excited to be one with this dreamy God.  But when the honey moon was over she got a little bored and decided to dabble in a few extra marital affairs.  

the israelites would go through the rituals that God had asked them to perform... but they would also partake in other rituals performed by worshipers of other gods.  

God was a broken hearted lover (and still is for that matter).  

We break his heart everyday with things we do.  We put money, work, friends even relationships before Him.  We are no better than prostitutes.  

But there is hope.  

As Hosea was walking in his village he saw a man trying to sell his half naked wife.  God told Hosea "Go show your love to you wife again." He purchased her back for 15 shekels.  The first thing he did was tell her he loved her.  He said that she would live with him and stop this unfaithfulness because she would never find anyone that loved her as much as him.

If there is hope for Gomer, there is hope for us.

Despite our pitiful shortcomings, regardless of our promiscuity, God loves us more than we have the compactly to know.  Even though we break his heart he brings us close to him and says "I still want you".

He brought us back when we were in the arms of another lover.  He did not pay with silver, but rather with blood.  He gave up the life of his Son, Jesus Christ, to purchase us back.  

It is both the heart breaking and the uplifting to know that we are so deeply loved by God.

I'm feeling a bit like a Pretty Woman right now...