Guard Your Garden

Precious daughter

Draw aside and sit with me awhile

Let me give you wise counsel for your life

Let a father’s voice ring in your ear

One that knows your needs

One that cares for you

Who wants to guide you well

And lead you in ways of life and blessing

You want to be loved

It is good that you do

You do not ever have to give that up

But you must be careful

For not all that calls itself love

Is really the love you seek

There is a man who would come to you

He would tell you that he loves you

And he would seem to

He would do many things for you

He would seem to meet your need

But he would also take from you

Robbing your most precious gift

He would seek to touch you

Before he has given you his life

This should not be so

God did not make it this way

You deserve better

For the way that our Creator made it

The way of a man and a maid

Is for the man to lay down his life for you

To give up himself

Committing before God and man

To love and protect you all of his days

And count you more precious than himself

Only then will he avail himself of your love

Of that intimate touch from your body

Your most precious gift to him

That is how it was meant to be

And there is no man

Who deserves that gift

Without honoring you first

With his marriage vow

And the offering of his life

As an act of his love

Only that man who does

Is worthy of partaking of your gift

The sweet offering of your body

In tenderness and surrender

So guard your garden, daughter

Keep it for the one

Who gives up his life for you

Then you will know true love

Real and sweet

Tender and blessed by your King

Stephen Pursell, 8/23/15