allure.

word of the day: allure \ə-ˈlur\ to entice by charm or attraction

I taught my ninth graders the word "enticing" this week. We began a unit on mood in literature and spent some time discussing six specific "mood words" that would come into play throughout Poe's "The Cask of Amontillado."

I pulled out a story from my elementary school days in order to further illustrate "enticing."

Witch's Brew happened during many a recess. All of us girls would gather by the benches on the corner of the playground to assign roles. One would be the witch, one the mother, and all the rest of us would be the children. The witch would escape to her "lair" by the tether-ball poles and we would set up "house" at the benches. Shortly after, our poor mother would leave her children to fend for themselves while she went to the "store" to buy us food.

As we played, the witch would make her approach, stand outside our "door," and offer us candy if we would follow her.

She enticed us with the promise of candy. Do you see the illustration? I'm not sure all the ninth graders did...

Of course we would follow her because we wanted the "candy" (and if we didn't follow, the game was pointless). She would lead us to the tether-ball pole lair where we soon found ourselves "trapped" because of our own innocence (I think we used those exact words too). We would "cry" and "panic" until our mother returned from the store and followed our trail to the lair. Upon arrival, she would march in a circle around the poles chanting very softly, "Witch's Brew! Witch's Brew! Witch's Brew!" Slowly but surely she would gain force as we joined in and when the chanting reached a certain decibel level, the witch would be defeated and we would skip "home" happily.

Either that, or we would skip back into school, because I'm pretty sure this game took up most of recess.

When I finished the story, each block of ninth graders looked at me dumbfounded and at least one kid per class asked, "You seriously did that more than once?"

The answer is yes and I know some of you reading this can back me up (although some of my details may be hazy).

My ninth graders, inquisitive souls that they are, then made a good point. They noted that sometimes we are enticed into good things and others bad. They said that the smell of baking cookies when you get home from school is enticing you to walk inside whereas the witch enticed us poor helpless children into a trap. We noted today that even though Fortunato is enticed by the wine, Montresor is, in fact, enticing him to his death (See "The Cask of Amontillado").

At this point you're probably wondering why the word of the day isn't enticing.

This is why:

Therefore I am now going to allure her;

I will lead her into the desert

and speak tenderly to her.

- Hosea 2:14

Allure: to entice by charm or attraction

I was reminded today of God's winsome heart. Of His tender voice leading me into the desert.

But why the desert? Why does God allure me to such a dry and desolate place?

The desert is still. Quiet. And what better place to hear God's voice than a place where there is no other sound? In the desert, God's voice can be heard more clearly.

The desert is bare. Empty. And what better place to feel the need for God than a place where everything has been taken away? A place where you can clearly see that He is all you need.

Isaiah 49:2 says, "In the shadow of his hand hath he hid me, and made me a polished shaft, in the quiver hath he hid me."

I read some great commentary on this just a few days ago:

"In the shadow. We must all go there sometimes. The glare of the daylight is too brilliant, our eyes are injured and unable to discern the delicate shades of color, or appreciate neutral tints--the shadowed chamber of sickness, the shadowed house of mourning, the shadowed life from which the sunlight has gone. But fear not! It is the shadow of God's hand. He is leading you. There are lessons that can be learned only there" (56).

Perhaps God leads us into the desert because it's only there that we can learn what He has for us.

Perhaps I just have to follow the tenderness of His voice.

Just like we followed the witch to the tether-ball poles. Except that it's totally different.

Martin, Catherine. "The Broken Heart." A Heart That Dances: Satisfy Your Desire for Intimacy with God. Colorado Springs, CO: NavPress, 2003. 53-58. Print.