Summer of Sizzle

Home Fires Burning on Low?

by Amy Gentry

“I am my lover’s,
and he claims me as his own.
¹¹ Come, my love, let us go out to the fields
and spend the night among the wildflowers.
¹² Let us get up early and go to the vineyards
to see if the grapevines have budded,
if the blossoms have opened,
and if the pomegranates have bloomed.
There I will give you my love.
¹³ There the mandrakes give off their fragrance,
and the finest fruits are at our door,
new delights as well as old,
which I have saved for you, my lover.”

Song of Solomon 7:10-13

I wonder if the Shulamite woman in the Song of Solomon was pregnant, post-partum, worked all day around Solomon’s palace chasing a harems worth of children, up late preparing the home school lessons for Solomon’s sons.  Or maybe even menopausal.  In Song of Solomon 7:10-13, she was not in an “Ok, Let’s get this over with” mindset.  She was active, excited, engaged and ready.  Whatever her stage in life – she was ready and willing. 

But what if the home fires were burning on low?  “Marriage should be honored by all, and the marriage bed kept pure…” Hebrews 13:4a  You can defile the marital bed by not honoring your physical relationship.  So much of a woman’s sexual experience takes place in her mind. If your fire is burning on low – take stock of why.  Do you need to forgive and forget a matter in your marriage?  You may need to just draw a line in the sand and start fresh.

 The Book Ends: Post-Partum to Menopause

Commonly these times are filled with the psychological effects of low libido due to self-consciousness resulting from the changes within your own body.  But sometimes this limited libido can be a result from the biochemical changes within your body.

FIRST- TELL YOUR HUSBAND ABOUT YOUR CONCERNS.
THEN- Speak to your doctor about any adverse effects on your body due to these hormonal seasons.
REMEMBER- Do not become frustrated with yourself – just keep moving forward through this whole time.

JUST DON’T THROW IN THE TOWEL – unless it is to strip the towel off to take a shower with your beloved. 

 

“There I will give you my love” Song of Solomon 7:12