This is the last of five connected stories – I wrote them all as “Life Lesson assignments” when I was in the Bible study 5 Aspects of Woman, intending to one day share them with my daughter and start teaching her about Biblical Womanhood. This aspect is “Glory of Man.”

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Eva had been the Wise Woman within the castle’s walls for two years. She was daily amazed at the truth of her own Wise Woman’s promise that she would know what to say and what to do as she let the King’s words permeate her soul. She had moments of self-doubt, of course, but she had been thrilled to see the truth of His message touch hearts of women He had sent her way. There had been those who had chosen to return to the village – most, in fact, turned their backs on the King’s offer. This never ceased to surprise Eva and break her heart at the same time. She knew her only hope of continued effectiveness to was to stay connected to the King, and she found herself perpetually drawn back to His letters and to others who knew Him.

It was their oldest daughter’s birthday. “Who knew thirteen years could pass so quickly!” thought Eva, putting the last swirls of yellow frosting on Ruth’s favorite cupcakes. In a few hours, their house would be bursting with family and friends, all gathering to celebrate this milestone in Ruth’s life. She smiled silently as she thought of the gift she and Adam had purchased for her – she knew Ruth, lover of all things beautiful, would be thrilled to see the birthstone ring engraved with her name. It would be a good day, no doubt. Eva heard a knock at the door and hurried to answer it, hoping that it was not a guest coming three hours early! Curiosity lit up her eyes as the royal messenger greeted her. “A package for you, ma’am.”

Eva quietly closed the door and went to sit at the table. Only a handful of times had a royal messenger visited her, and the memories of each visit flooded her heart with emotion. The small package was familiar, and when she saw the royal insignia on the attached envelope, she knew without a doubt that the letter was in the King’s own hand.

My dearest Eva,

What a day for your family! I know that you must be busy preparing for your Ruth’s birthday, but I felt it was the right time to send this. You have waited patiently for this key, and it is my delight to give it to you. My only request is that you share this with Ruth. I trust that you have been explaining the other treasures to her as she grew and matured, and now this last one is a birthday gift to you both. Please wish her a happy birthday from me – she is dear to my heart.

With love to you and yours,
King Adon

The final key. With trembling hands, Eva opened the package to reveal the golden key. “What could it be?” Eva wondered, suddenly freshly aware of how much she missed her wise friend. What if she didn’t know what the treasure meant, let alone be able to explain it to Ruth? As she walked quickly to retrieve her golden box from the mantle, she silently thanked Adam for taking all of the children with him to get the food for the party.

The anticipation always seemed nearly unbearable when she was about to open a new treasure, and this time was no exception. The key rattled in the lock, and Eva noticed how badly her hands were shaking. Finally, that familiar click, and the last compartment yawned open. Eva reached in and pulled out the most intricate bridal headpiece she had ever seen, followed by a gorgeous, flowing veil trimmed in satin and pearls.

Tears instantly sprang to her eyes, and through laughter and tears she said aloud, “King Adon, what are you doing to me? A bridal veil for my daughter’s thirteenth birthday?” And then, with a surge of affection for her gracious and loving King who knew her so intimately, she noticed a small linen handkerchief folded at the bottom of the box, embroidered with her initials. As she withdrew it, a small slip of parchment fluttered to the ground. Eva gingerly picked it up and read the following words, “Adorned, Adoring, Awaiting the Day.”

With great difficulty, Eva locked her last treasure up and went back to the comparatively mundane details of cleaning and preparing their house. As she worked, Eva mulled the meaning of this last treasure over in her mind. She had an idea of what it would mean, but was not crystal clear. Adorned, Adoring, Awaiting the Day… Adorned, Adoring, Awaiting the Day. As she turned the words over and over in her mind, she could almost hear the Wise Woman saying in her ear, “You will have something to say as you let the King’s words steep in your soul.” Eva chuckled to herself and said aloud, “I hope they steep quickly, because right now this tea is mighty weak!”

The party came and went in a flurry of laughter, gifts, and comfortable conversation with loved ones. As the children helped to clean up the house, Eva grinned as she saw Ruth stop to gaze at her new ring several times. If she thinks that’s an exciting present, wait until she hears she received a gift from King Adon! She thought to herself. As the day had gone by, the Wise Woman’s words again proved true as the meaning of the King’s words suddenly crystallized in her mind. Adorned, Adoring, Awaiting the Day. Indeed we are, my King.

Later that evening, Adam readied the other children for bed and Eva put her arm around Ruth’s waist. “Can I interest the birthday girl in some tea?” She boiled the water and prepared the teapot, and they comfortably settled at the table together. How many times had they done this? It was a cheering and familiar ritual to them both. “Ruth, I have another surprise for you.” “You do?” Ruth eagerly replied. “But, you and Dad already gave me this beautiful ring – I love it, Mom. Thank you!” Eva smiled and put her hand on her daughter’s. “Well, this surprise isn’t from us. It’s from the King.”

Ruth’s eyes filled with wonderment as Eva went to retrieve the treasure box, along with the letter and key the King had sent earlier that day. They read the letter together, and Ruth wiped tears from her face. “How did he know it was my birthday, Mom?” “Ruth, I don’t think we will ever understand how deeply he knows us and how much he loves us. When he said that you are dear to his heart, he truly meant it. You remember the story about when I got this, right?” Eva said, pulling the tiara from the first compartment. “Here I was, living in rebellion to the King, and I was astounded to find out how well he knew me. Beyond that, he had watched me turn my back on him and he loved me deeply enough to call me back! In fact, the King sent this treasure box to me as a gift on my birthday. I have a feeling that he loves to celebrate us – in reality, it is a celebration of him and all he’s done for us.”

At this point, Eva produced the fifth key. “Are you ready to open your present?” Eva understood exactly how her daughter was feeling as she ran her fingers over the design in the key and slowly inserted it into the lock. She gasped as the compartment opened, revealing the headpiece and veil within. “Oh, Mom! This is gorgeous!” As any young girl would do, she ran to the hall mirror to try it on. “He sent this for me? I can’t believe I get to wear this on my wedding day!” She turned to Eva, who smiled but could not restrain her tears at the sight of her young daughter dressed as a bride. “Oh, Mom. I’m not getting married today, you know.” “I know, sweetie. I just can’t help it. But look at this – the King even knew I would need to wipe my eyes!” She showed Ruth the handkerchief and they burst into laughter together.

After they had inspected the gift together, Eva said, “Well, Ruth, obviously you know that this veil is more than a gift for your future wedding day. Each treasure has a deep meaning about what it means to be a woman in the King’s design. He also included this.” She produced the slip of parchment and Ruth’s brow furrowed in thought as she read aloud, “‘Adorned, Adoring, Awaiting the Day.’ What does that mean, Mom? Is he talking about my wedding?” “Well, yes and no,” replied Eva. “Let’s take one part at a time. What do you think he means by ‘Adorned’?”

“Well, obviously a bride is adorned and beautifully dressed for her wedding. It takes months to plan and hours and hours to prepare for the ceremony. All of us dream about our dress and how beautiful we will look!” “Right,” said Eva, thinking to herself of how lovely she felt on the day she married Adam. “Women were made to enjoy and create beauty. We love the idea of being a bride, because it is the day we feel the most beautiful! We create beauty around us as we style our hair, decorate our homes, plant flowers, make jewelry, whatever! Being adorned is an important aspect of being feminine. While we are on the subject, look at how pure and white this veil is. Women have been given a sacred gift to guard – our own purity. Being covered is a very feminine trait, as well, and it is a protection the King has given us. The outside world likes to tell us that being uncovered is feminine, but really, they have it backward. Covering ourselves and remaining pure is one of the greatest gifts we can give to our husbands, and it makes us even more beautiful and appealing to them.”

“Now, what do you think ‘Adoring’ means?” “I guess it means that the bride should really love the groom. She should be excited to see him.” Eva smiled and nodded encouragingly. “Yes, that’s true! Women should respond to men, particularly their fathers and husbands, in adoration. Why do you think people always comment that you are a ‘Daddy’s girl’?” Ruth thought for a minute and said, “Well, I guess because I love being around him and spending time with him. I feel safe with Dad, and I know he loves me and will take care of me.” “Absolutely! When you get married, you are to adore your husband in a similar way. As wives, part of our role is to let our husbands know we love to be with them, feel safe with them, and are proud of who they are.”

“There is another aspect of adoration, as well, that applies specifically to marriage. Remember what I just said about the veil illustrating the feminine aspect of being covered? Well, what does the husband do with the wife’s veil after they have been pronounced husband and wife?” Ruth smiled and said, “He lifts the veil and kisses her!” Eva agreed, “Yes. The covering of modesty that protects us is to be lifted by only one – in the context of marriage, we are to be physically open, available, and responsive to our husbands.”

“Now, what about ‘Awaiting the Day’?” Eva asked. Ruth thought for a few moments, and Eva noticed that she was hesitating. “What do you think?” she encouraged. “Well, I was going to say ‘I’m waiting for my wedding,’ but I think it’s more than that. I’m just not sure what.” Eva smiled. “Actually, you’re right on both counts. You are waiting for your wedding day, but there is a bigger story happening here, as well as with all three of these ideas.

“You see, marriage is, in many ways, a shadow of a bigger idea. Let’s say that you had never seen the castle, but you had seen its shadow. Would you know anything about the castle itself?” Ruth gave her mom a crooked smile. “Well, I would know that it was big. I would be able to see the outline of all of the turrets and towers, so I would know it was a pretty amazing place. But, I wouldn’t realize how truly beautiful it was without seeing it myself!” “Absolutely,” Ruth agreed. “Marriage is a little like the shadow of the castle. When people look at a marriage between people who know and love the King, they are seeing a shadow of what the King’s love for the people in His Kingdom is like.” “What?” Ruth said with a puzzled look. “I don’t get it.”

Eva smiled. “I know, it’s a hard idea. Let’s talk about all three parts of the message again. When the King says ‘Adorned,’ he’s referring not only to women in beautiful dresses waiting to be married, but to people who love him and are preparing to meet him. How do you think a groom would feel if the bride didn’t bother to dress up or fix her hair for their wedding?” “He would probably feel hurt and wonder if she cared about him at all,” Ruth said thoughtfully, and then asked, “So what does that mean to be adorned for the King?” Eva nodded and said, “Just like women beautify themselves for their wedding, to be adorned for the King means that we show through our lives that we are setting ourselves apart for Him. Our actions, attitudes, thoughts, and words should beautify us by showing that we have a higher purpose – the calling of bringing praise and glory to our King. And, like our physical purity, keeping our thoughts and lives pure gives the King even more glory and shows that we are faithful to Him.”

“Now, let’s think about what Adoring would mean. We already said that to adore your husband means to let our husbands know we love to be with them, feel safe with them, and are proud of who they are. It also refers to how our modesty outside of marriage becomes exclusive access and responsiveness inside marriage. So, what do you think it means to ‘adore’ the King?” Ruth paused for a few moments and then said, “Well, I guess it’s similar to being adorned in that you show that He is important, but this time more in your affections and thoughts than in what you do.” Eva beamed. “That is so insightful, Ruth! Yes, the King should be the center of our hearts. Our love for Him and constant reflection on who He is should spill out of our lives and be contagious to other people. We should be proud of who He is and what He has done, and boldly tell other people about it! We also are supposed to be exclusively available and responsive to the King – we should have a deeper and more intimate relationship with Him than with anyone or anything else, holding nothing back from Him.”

“Ok, Ruth, so now that we’ve talked about the bigger idea behind the shadow of marriage, what do you think ‘Awaiting the Day’ means?” Ruth laughed quietly and said, “You know, I think so often about what my wedding will be like. What my husband will look like and how he will treat me, how beautiful my dress and flowers will be, having all of our family and friends there… and now I’m realizing that my wedding day shouldn’t be nearly as big of a deal to me as the day I will see the King face to face. I think that is the Day that should be consuming my thoughts and bringing me excitement.” Eva was nearly jumping out of her chair. “Yes, Ruth! Absolutely! That is THE Day that we should be waiting for on the edge of our seats! All other days, no matter how wonderful, will pale in comparison to the King waiting to see you.”

Eva and Ruth stayed at the table and talked late into the night, until finally Adam came out to tease them about keeping him awake. As Eva turned the lights out, she stood at the mantle for a long time, looking at her treasure box. The mystery was finally revealed. What a beautiful gift the King had given them both, starting years ago on her own birthday. After a few minutes, Eva felt Adam’s arms around her waist as he began to kiss the back of her neck. “My beautiful Eva – inside and out,” he said quietly. She smiled and leaned into his embrace. They turned the last light out and stole back to their room together. Adorned, Adoring, Awaiting the Day. What a picture, King Adon! Eva thought quietly. With a shadow this lovely, I can’t wait to see the rest.

Now I want you to realize that the head of every man is Christ,
and the head of the woman is man, and the head of Christ is God…
A man ought not to cover his head, since he is the image and glory of God;
but the woman is the glory of man.
-I Corinthians 11:3

Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth,
for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and there was no longer any sea. I saw the Holy City, the new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God,
prepared as a bride beautifully dressed for her husband.
And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying,
‘Now the dwelling of God is with men, and he will live with them.
They will be his people, and God himself will be with them and will be their God’…
The Spirit and the bride say, ‘Come!’ And let him who hears say, ‘Come!’
Whoever is thirsty, let him come;
and whoever wishes let him take the free gift of the water of life.
-Revelation 21:1-3, 22:17

Proverbs 31 graphics from A Pondering Heart