About Melissa
Come and Live
Come and live, you say!
Just leave behind your town,
and lay your mortgage down,
and toss your plans away.
Donate all your things,
de-mountaining your stash.
Clear your digital cache,
the distractions that it brings.
Call your boss and quit.
Quick hugs to all your friends.
Abrupt exit offends.
Leave schools, cut ties, and split.
A city bare, with space
and neighbors –- just a few –-
is where you’ll start anew,
a wholly set apart place.
And for a time, there’ll be
nowhere to lay your head,
no den, no nest, no bed,
no homes for miles to see.
But here you will rebuild.
You’ll plant, water, and sow,
and watch the harvest grow –
my promises fulfilled.
For only with empty hands
can you freely receive,
freely give, and so perceive
the life in my commands.
Description
After the Israelites rebuilt the wall surrounding Jerusalem, the capital city was safe to reinhabit. But there was a problem. As Nehemiah observed, “The city was large and spacious, but there were few people in it, and no houses had been built yet.” Neh. 7:4. The solution? The leaders would settle there and “the rest of the people would cast lots for one out of ten to come and live in Jerusalem, the holy city, while the other nine-tenths remained in their towns.” Neh. 11:1. Nehemiah also commented that these people “volunteered,” which means that they had a choice in whether or not to resettle. I was inspired by these Bbible verses to write this poem, a modern reimagining of God’s invitation to leave behind what’s comfortable to heed His call.
Artist Bio
Melissa directs the Art Ministry at Golden Hills. She graduated many years ago from Northwestern University as a Creative Writing Major in Poetry, and is currently a student at Southern Baptist Theological Seminary. She loves being a part of this group of artists who are creating art that reflect God’s glorious truth and beauty.