This past weekend my family and I drove up to Black Mountain for Montreat College's Homecoming weekend. As some of you already know, my brother Michael attends Montreat college and is on the soccer team there. After eating a picnic lunch at Lake Tomahawk Park with Michael, we went to Montreat's soccer field to watch the girl's soccer game that Michael's girlfriend Katie played in. Mom, dad, Christopher, Michael, Emily and I were sitting on the bleachers watching the game when a bunch of boys arrived and sat behind us. It wasn't long before we realized we were sitting in front of the cheering squad.

As the game wore on, the "cheerleaders" went from cheering their own players to harrassing the other team. Somehow, they found out the other girls' names and started jeering at them. What may have seemed innocent and harmless at first soon became increasingly disrespectful. They would yell things like, "Hey, Jenna, do you remember me? We went to school together!" or when the other team had the ball and was trying to score a goal they would shout, "Don't do it, Louise!" Then they started calling the girls' names asking them to "go to the Outback" with them after the game. It wasn't so much what they said that was disrespectful, it was how they said it. I couldn't believe these (supposedly "men") were being so crass and immature. I was getting irritated and wanted to tell those boys off but didn't want to cause a scene. 

They had just picked a new victim and began hollering her name. Little did they know they had picked the wrong girl to yell at. "Hey, Morgan! Hey, do you remember me? We went to school together. Come on, Morgan!" Suddenly a woman sitting next to them said, "Hey, stop yelling my daughter's name!" It was a woman from the other team sitting right next to them! I wish I could tell you they stopped their immaturity right then and there, but it only subsided for a few stunned seconds before they resumed their picking at Louise. And this is the age group I'm going to marry into?! Lord, help me.

Later in the afternoon, it was half-time for the boys soccer game. After sitting four hours in the car that morning, then sitting through the girls' soccer game, and now having to sit through the boys' soccer game, I was getting a little tired of sitting. There was a beautiful hiking trail that started at one end of the field, looped around to the bathrooms and back to the other end of the field. Putting on Michael's hoodie (the sun had gone behind the trees by now and it was getting a tad chilly) I stretched a bit then set off jogging down the trail. Wanting to explore, I veered off onto a smaller trail that wound through a beautiful piece of forest and then joined a paved road. I followed it a little ways out onto a picturesque bridge with a mountain stream flowing under it. An older man was walking along the paved road and asked me, "Where's your friend?" I was trying to figure out what he possibly meant by my friend when he continued. "It doesn't have to be dark anymore. That's the day and time we live in. You be careful, alright?" Granted, I'm sure this man was trying to be nice and all, but he really creeped me out. I told him I'd be careful then started back the way I came. When he was out of sight I ran as fast as I could back to the bathrooms.

That's the day and time we live in. The day when girls are jeered at and disrespected by college boys sitting in the bleachers. The time when girls can get raped on a public trail in broad daylight. The era when chivalry and honor are all but extinct. What a sad, sad time we live in...You may be thinking horrified, "Why didn't you take your brother with you?" But I know Someone who promised He would never leave me or forsake me. That Someone was with me. And He is in control.

Before my youth pastor preached on the book of Nehemiah, that was just one of those books that I breezed over. I never really read it or appreciated it, but now I wonder, how could I have missed it?! I completely fell in love with the book of Nehemiah and I think it's pure injustice that David and Jonah get all the bible story fame while Nehemiah is glossed over! Personally, I think Nehemiah was more of a man after God's own heart than David or Jonah ever were. You didn't see Nehemiah murdering a guy and stealing his wife or writhing on the ground begging to be killed because his plant died.

After much serious contemplation, I have decided that I want to marry a man just like Nehemiah. Allow me to tell you why...

First of all, Nehemiah is a man of passion who knows how to pray. In the very first chapter, we see the depth of his love for Israel when one of his friends brings him news of Jerusalem's fallen estate. When he heard this, he "sat down and wept and mourned for many days...fasting and praying before the God of heaven." Then he prays this long intimate prayer of pleading and confession, reminding God of his promises to the children of Israel and asking for mercy.

Second he is bold and courageous. When the king notices Nehemiah's downcast expression and asks him, "Why is your face sad, since you are not sick? This is nothing but sorrow of heart." Nehemiah "became dreadfully afraid and said to the king, 'May the king live forever! Why should my face not be sad, when the city, the place of my fathers' tombs lies waste, and its gates are burned with fire?" Even though he's dreadfully afraid he doesn't brush it off and say, "oh, it's nothing, king". He boldly states why he's sad with conviction and compassion for his country. Then the king asks him, "what do you request?" So Nehemiah eloquently tells the king what he wants and the king allows him to return to Jerusalem. 

Third, he is a born leader and doesn't take any crap. After the king grants his request, he goes back, surveys the city and tells the people, "Come let us build the wall of Jerusalem, that we may no longer be a reproach." And he encourages the people by telling of the success God gave him with the king. So the people said, "Let us rise up and build." And they got to it! Now, I love this next part!!! When Sanballat, Tobiah and Geshem (three very powerful officials) heard what the Israelites were doing they laughed and despised them. But Nehemiah answers them and says, "The God of heaven Himself will prosper us; therefore we His servants will arise and build, but you have no heritage or right or memorial in Jerusalem." Ouch! He basically told them to get out of there--they didn't belong in Jerusalem!

Fourth, Nehemiah pays strict attention to detail. He goes on to describe the rebuilding of the walls and the gates, meticulously recording the building process, the dedications and every man that helps. You gotta love a man that pays attention to detail! But then the bad guys (Sanballat, Tobiah and the other guy) start causing trouble again.

Fifth, he is a brave warrior and a man of faith. When Sanballat and Tobiah stirred up dissension against the Jews, Nehemiah "positioned men behind the lower parts of the wall, at the openings...with their swords, their spears, and their bows." This next part reminds me of Aragorn's speech in front of the gates of Mordor. Nehemiah tells them, "Do not be afraid of them. Remember the Lord, great and awesome, and fight for your brethren, your sons, your daughters, your wives, and your houses"! And all the people working on the wall "loaded themselves so that with one hand they worked at construction, and with the other held a weapon." Nehemiah kept the man with the trumpet at his side, saying, "Wherever you hear the sound of the trumpet, rally to us there. Our God will fight for us." So they worked tirelessly, building up the wall and fighting their enemies off by day, and standing guard by night, not even taking their clothes off "except...for washing."

Sixth, he is a wise peacemaker. As if trying to build the wall and fight off enemies wasn't enough to deal with, Nehemiah had to deal with a famine causing unrest among his own people. "There was a great outcry of the people and their wives against their Jewish brethren...[saying] 'We have borrowed money for the king's tax on our lands and vineyards...indeed we are forcing our sons and our daughters to be slaves...It is not in our power to redeem them, for other men have our lands and vineyards." So Nehemiah "became very angry" and "after serious thought...rebuked the nobles and rulers saying, 'Each of you is exacting usury from his brother.' Then they were silenced and found nothing to say." Then Nehemiah begs them to restore their brethren's land and houses and a hundredth of everything they have taken. And they said, "We will restore it, and will require nothing from them; we will do as you say."

Seventh, he has a generous heart. When the people appoint him governor, even though he has the right to governor's provisions, he "did not demand the governor's provisions, because the bondage was heavy on this people." In fact, he "continued the work on this wall and...did not buy any land." In addition, all his servants were gathered there to help work on the wall.

Eighth, he is cunning. After the Israelites finally finished building the wall, Sanballat, Tobiah, and Geshem still aren't satisfied with their troublemaking. They sent Nehemiah word saying "'Come, let us meet together among the villages in the plain of Ono.'" But Nehemiah knew they were trying to kill him. So he tells them he's busy with a great work and can't leave. Four times they tried to get him to come but he answers them in the same manner. So when that doesn't work they try to blackmail him. Sanballat sends him yet another letter saying, "It is reported among the nations, and Geshem says, that you and the Jews plan to rebel...Now these matters will be reported to the king. So come, therefore, and let us consult together." But Nehemiah answers, "No such things as you say are being done, but you invent them in your own heart." So after everything they've tried doesn't work, they get an insider named Shemaiah to make Nehemiah break the Jewish law by going into the temple saying, "they are coming to kill you." But Nehemiah replied, "Should such a man as I flee?...I will not go in!"

Ninth, he finishes what he sets out to do. (Many men don't do this) Finally, "the wall was finished...in fifty-two days...and when all our enemies heard of it...they perceived that this work was done by our God." But it was not truly finished for "the city was large and spacious, but the people in it were few...Then my God put it into my heart to gather the nobles, the rulers and the people that they might be registered by genealogy." So he does it. And "when the seventh month came, the children of Israel were in their cities."

Tenth, he kept God's law. After sealing a covenant, dedicating the wall, delegating temple responsibilities, and creating several reforms, Nehemiah has to deal with merchants trying to come in and sell things on the sabbath. He rebuked the nobles of Judah for profaning the sabbath, then posted his servants at the gates to keep people from bringing their wares in on the sabbath. So the merchants simply camped outside Jerusalem until the sabbath was over.  But Nehemiah warned them that if they didn't clear out he'd lay hands on them. So "from that time on they came no more on the Sabbath."

Nehemiah was not perfect, but He sought to please the Lord in everything he did and I believe he was truly a man after God's own heart. That is why I want to marry a man like Nehemiah.....