After a long, tiresome first day, it was time to start classes.
Breakfast ran from 7am-9am, then everyone gathered in the main building for the mandatory class.
"What Does the Bible
Actually Say About Sex?"
It was the most important lesson, so we always made sure the whole camp attended. Each person had to sign in, and with the additional guests, we were already behind schedule. I hate running late. It's by far my biggest pet peeve.
Once everyone was in their seats, I made sure to let them know we welcomed note taking, whether on paper or on their phones. As long as sound was off and they refrained from playing or texting. Recording was allowed, but no video. Our guests usually prefer to be kept private.
I typically teach this one, but really any of the teachers know the material, I just love kicking things off.
"It's a common miscommunication that sex is taboo in the Bible, especially with regards to sex outside of marriage. Now I'm not saying there aren't several verses explicitly denouncing premarital sex, but it is the context that matters. A lot!"
"When we look at it from a technical standpoint, what can we find? God does not condone adultery! The Bible is quite clear on that one. One of the reasons we are here today, in this beautiful auditorium, talking about sex and love, is because we want everyone here to have the healthiest relationship possible. That is what God is teaching us. Over and over we see the truth, adultery is the problem. Not sex before marriage.... It's there! But we'll get into that in a second."
"Being aware of who wrote what, and why it was written will benefit anyone interested in all biblical teachings. It brings everything into focus, and supplies the context for each verse."
"One of the strongest opponents of sexuality was Saul/Paul. He was Saul before his rebirth. Paul was single and abstained from anything sexual, he makes that very clear in his writing. He explains that sexual immorality is one of the worst sins known to man. He also wrote about half of the New Testament, so his bias was palpable. Most of what we read in the Bible (New Testament especially) are mainly letters he wrote to churches, focusing on the issues they faced. It's interesting to note that all of the letters included in our cannon were put there by an all male group, with documented beliefs that women were only made by God to be submissive to their husbands. They also were not allowed to marry... so..."
The crowd was equal parts uncomfortable and invested. I loved seeing both reactions.
"Let's take a second to look at when the Bible was written...... lets see....a really, really, really long time ago!"
After the laughter died down, I pushed my point.
"During those days, spanning hundreds of years, women were considered inferior. And even though some passages speak highly of women, the majority do not. This has been a monumental hindrance throughout history. Paving the way for a male dominated society. But if you read through scripture with a fundamental understanding of what their society was like, the words on the page take a drastic new meaning. Funneling out all the bias and condemnation of women, we find a hidden truth. That love concurs all. Love is the glue that holds us together. Love has no boundaries or prejudices. And God is love."
I steadied myself and took a drink for my water bottle, to allow what I said to sink in.
"I'm sure many of you have a lot of questions, while others think I'm completely out of my mind. But I assure you, it's true. When we break down all the thee's and thou's, and strip away the old laws, it really comes down to sex being an expression of who we are and how we love. .... Oh, and there's going to be a quiz later on how many times I say love and sex. Is anyone keeping count? No, okay moving on."
Over the years I've found that a little humor goes a long way. Most of the people gathered have started to relax, which makes my job so much easier. I'm not a comedian, in any way! But humor isn't always a big joke.
"Now I'm not saying that everyone should go out and sleep with whoever they want and to heck with the consequences. Not. At. All. I'm saying that by denying our sexual nature, we limit ourselves to finding true love. Those who say that sex is only for the purpose of procreation, has never really spent time reading the Bible, (while trying to understand the context, of course). There are countless instances that portray sexual intimacy as a good thing. Exploring that bond is essential to a strong relationship. Whether it's within marriage or not. Obviously we believe that marriage should be the goal, and a healthy sex life can lead to a lifetime of happiness, fulfillment, and love."
I needed more water. As much as I enjoyed teaching this lesson, it always dug my hole a little deeper.
"Too often during our camps I hear married couples say that their sex life has completely ceased, or fizled out, and it pains me to know that their bond has been damaged. But we're here to help. We want to make sure that everyone leaves here with a renewed hunger for their partners. It doesn't matter how old you are, or your level of experience. Having a deep understanding of intimacy can heighten your relationships."
A few people start clapping, which leads to more. After a moment, the whole crowd is on their feet. My heart swells and I can't help but hold back tears. I smile and signal everyone to take their seats.
"I hope all of you have signed up for your classes for the week. We have four weeks here, and the first is the hardest. Our counseling sessions are mandatory, but with multiple counselors, you'll always find one available. We want to make sure you're on the right path to successful relationships. If you have any questions about your choice of classes, or just need general information, our counselors are there for you. Utilize their knowledge, otherwise they'll get bored.
"Now, a few short announcements. As most of you know our dining schedule has changed a bit. We've taken the extra step to make everyone comfortable and are offering open meal times. Breakfast if from 7am-9am, lunch is from 12pm-2pm, and dinner is from 7pm-9pm. With healthy snacks available between lunch and dinner. Please amend this in your binders. We even have a dessert station during dinner! We're so happy to have all of you here, and I look forward to meeting all of you. Now please go, and have some fun before lunch."
As the crowd began to dissipate and I stepped down from the podium, I caught a glimpse of pure handsomeness. Eli was sitting in the back, staring at me. My heart jumped into my throat, I had to stop and breathe before I passed out.
Slowly he stood and headed in my direction. I was frozen, I couldn't move my feet if I tried. What was this man doing to me?
He greeted me with a 'hey' and a killer smile.
"Hello Eli, I see you decided to join us. What did you think of our first class?"
"Meh, I could've done without the Bible talk, but the sex stuff was good."
Ugh! Why do I have to be attracted to him? In ten years I've been around thousands of men, and nothing. Now I meet Eli and he disrespects my faith!
"Eli, that 'bible stuff' is a core foundation of our camp. Recognizing that God created us as sexual beings brings makes everything else work."
"Right..... Go out with me."
He didn't even ask, it was a statement.
"No. It won't and can't lead to anything of substance, so there's no point in indulging ourselves. You're very handsome, I'm sure finding someone to fill your bed can't be difficult."
Did I really just say that?!
"You think I'm handsome?"
"Stop that, you know very well how attractive you are. So my saying it should come as no surprise."
"I think you're gorgeous, and I honestly can't think of any reason we shouldn't, how did you put it? Indulge ourselves."
I swear his voice went down lower than should be humanly possible, when he said those last two words. I had to press my legs together in an attempt to stave off the growing pressure between my thighs.
"Please?"
Ugh!!!
"Fine. With the full understanding that it will not lead to sex, I accept."
"Sweet. Come by my place, I'll cook and we can hang out."
"I thought you said you were taking me out. Not in."
He chuckled and I'm pretty sure my heart stopped a beat.
"Well, the cafeteria food is pretty good, but getting away from your guests for a little while can be good for you."
As he spoke, he inched closer to me. Now I'm pretty tall for my gender at 5'9", but even I had to look up to see the grin on his beautiful face.
It was then that I realized just how close we were. Too close. I took a step back, forgetting that I was directly in from of the step up to the podium. So I fell.
Eli reached out to catch me, and almost succeeded, as my legs swept into his and we both went down.
I was mortified! My clumsiness brought us into a position that was horribly uncomfortable, extremely inappropriate, and intensely arousing.
As he came to the same realization, he leaned in to get even closer. My eyes went wide and then instinctively closed in anticipation. Just then I heard a familiar voice cry out to me.
"Oh my goodness, CeCe! Are you okay?"
Megan made her way through the rows of now empty chairs to make sure I wasn't hurt. I carefully pushed Eli off of me and attempted to stand.
My whole body ached. Even with Eli cushioning the fall, I still fell hard. The look on both of their faces showed concern and calculation. I knew what he was thinking, it didn't take a genius to figure it out. But I only suspected the meaning of Meg's mischievous grin.
"Well, don't just stand there. Help me up, please."
At that, they both reached down and grabbed an arm. After swiping away dust that wasn't really there, I introduced Eli to my best friend.
"It is such an honor to meet you, Eli. CeCe has told me so much about you. Oh, and you can call me Meg."
"Nice to meet you. I wonder where she's getting her on me information from, because our previous exchange was far too brief."
I want to smack him, but I'm literally swooning.
"Well, since I heard the whole story, it almost feels like I was there. I just hope CeCe here takes you up on any more offers you might have."
I want to turn and run, but they've boxed me in, plus my back side is still screaming at me.
"No worries, Megan. She's coming over tonight for dinner..... You're more than welcome to tag along, since I've been shot down, preemptively."
Meg finds his words hysterical and is doubled over laughing, while I'm struggling to keep from burying my head in the sand and never coming out.
"Oh, I wouldn't dream of imposing on her first date in over ten years."
"Megan!!!"
"Seriously? Ten YEARS?"
Oh ground, please swallow me whole, any second now would be preferable.
"Yep! Have you not read our brochure? Her whole sex life is public knowledge. It's probably a big part of why she doesn't have one."
"Stop talking about me like I'm not here. Now, if you're done embarrassing me, we need to make the rounds and check on lunch preparations."
"Sure thing boss."
I hated it when she calls me that. Even though I'm technically the CEO/President/Founder, Meg is and has always been an essential part the camp. She chose not to take an official title, she had some stuff in her past that made her freak out about being 'official', and it doesn't bother me. She's proud of what she does, but was adamant that her name not be mentioned. I still have no idea how I could have done this without her. She's always been like a sister to me, it's hard to be mad at her, ever. Which is also very annoying.
I turned to Eli and gathered all the strength I could find.
"I will be at your place at 8pm. Now, I have an exceptional amount of work to do, so I will say goodbye, for now."
"Bye, gorgeous. Looking forward to tonight. I hope you like fish."
"Only if it's grilled, not fried."
"You got it, sweetheart."
I rolled my eyes as Meg and I made our way to the cafeteria.