His eyes always look lovingly at me.
That passion will never fade.
His hand will always reach for mine.
I will never grasp for thin air.
His feet will always walk beside me.
I will never go alone.
His chest heaves when mine does.
He feels all my pain along with me.
His cheeks quickly grin at my successes.
They are also familiar with tears.
His actions are only in my best interest.
He knows when to step in and when to let me battle it on my own.
His words are honest and His Word is truth.
His shoulders are so much bigger than mine.
His arms wrap all the way around my loneliness.
He gives me comfort.
His heart will never break mine.

© 2000 Jeannie Campbell

Isn't this the kind of guy we all hold/held out hope for? I know that was true for me when I had my heart broken for the first time and wrote this poem soon afterward. That was over 10 years ago.

The poem referred not to whom I had hoped would be my next boyfriend, but to whom I knew would be my forever love: Jesus.

In my work with young teen girls, the overwhelming sense I get from them with regards to intimate relationships is despair. Why? Because they have put their hope one too many times in a guy who dashed them. Giving someone your heart and having it returned to you in pieces eventually takes a toll on your ability to trust.

Sharing the hope of a Lover who will never leave you grasping for air or standing alone can be the greatest way to reach young girls today. By high school, most girls have already experienced the pang of heartbreak, the disappointment of elevated expectations not being met. These girls are hungry for acceptance and love, stability and security...things human boyfriends often fall short in giving.

What better way of introducing them to Heaven's Hope than sharing with them how Jesus can not only meet these expectations, but also exceed them? Start using the steps below within your circle of influence and see what conversations strike up.

1) Don't Cheapen Intimacy
Refuse to play games like Spin the Bottle or 7 Minutes in Heaven (closet kissing game). They may seem like harmless parlor games, but in reality, they cheapen the intimate experience. Tell your friends you're holding out for something more special.

2) True Love Waits
When I went through this program 15 years ago, we didn't have the pretty little rings they have now. As a gift, I received a ring with a cross on it that I wore as a reminder that I was married to Jesus. Eventually a man worthy enough to move that cross ring from my left finger to my right came along and placed a diamond in its place.

Similar to the idea of the WWJD bracelets, the ring can serve as a conversation starter, enabling you to explain why you're holding out for someone...and hopeful that he's on his way because of the promise found in Psalm 37:4. "Delight yourself in the LORD, and he will give you the desires of your heart."

3) Show Compassion
Girls all around you won't want to hear an "I told you so" when they are crying because boyfriend #6 dumped them. Listen to them, let them cry on your shoulder, grieve with them, and then gently assure them with the utmost confidence that Someone better is out there for them. When they ask how you are so sure, that'll be God's way of opening the door into the Lost World for you to share with them the Hope of Heaven.

Jeannie Campbell is a Christ-follower, wife, mother and Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist, in that order. She got her masters of divinity in psychology and counseling from New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary and her bachelors in psychology and journalism from The University of Mississippi. She's a member of the American Association of Christian Counselors and American Christian Fiction Writers. In her spare time, she writes feature articles for magazines and local newspapers and blog posts for The Character Therapist. Email Jeannie.