the banquet

All of you are beautiful, my darling, and there is no fault in you. Song of Solomon 4:7

I kept emphasizing to each girl how perfect they were made. I wish I could help them all wrap their minds around the beauty and grace they possess in their hearts.

We wanted them to realize how special they are so we planned a night as incredible as all of them combined. Our guys dressed up in the nicest clothes their closets housed and escorted each of them to their designated seat. The room had no light beside the lit candles. A tulip was placed on each plate, waiting for the girl that would soon pick it up and carry it home.

The guys apologized to the crowd of girls for the way they have been treated by the men in their lives. It was a crowd full of girls who were neglected, a crowd full of mistreated individuals that cried out for love in awful ways. After the apology was made and the room was full of emotion, the Perry girls handed out frames with each of the girl’s names and the positive characteristics they possess. The reactions were different than expected; it is hard to accept words of encouragement when those words go against everything you have been told your entire life.

Purity and love are not brought up enough, or not brought up in the right way when it is. I had several talks about the importance of keeping yourself pure and then describing the aftermath if you don’t. We gave each of them a necklace to symbolize their desire of the purity we talked to them about.

“Miss Haley, can you keep my bracelet so you’ll never forget me?” I couldn’t help but let every tear pour out as I hugged her and explained how deeply I loved her.

Seeing the girls cry throughout the banquet was such a transforming experience. It reminded me of how much I deserved as well, how I set my standards high but never waited for a guy who met them. I let unworthy guys step into my life that didn’t deserve to be there. I felt the pain I saw in their eyes, from all the abuse and neglect and love that was never shown to them. 

I love these girls with all my heart.