June 03, 2007

L-O-V-E

"Become a nun, and I'll leave you alone."

I laughed out loud as I read this statement from a friend in a Facebook message earlier this week. A short conversation with Bob Carder over the weekend prompted me to write about it. I was going to last week, actually, but I got so caught up in denouncing the complacency of the American Church in that last post that boys seemed like a silly topic of blogging. However, I have involved a lot of people in praying for my decision in this matter, so I figured that an update amidst such heart changing was in order. =-)

For the past couple of years, I've been really struggling with what role God has for me as a woman of God, and trying to flesh out the desires He has placed in me regarding romance and family. It seems that all of my friends are on either one side of the spectrum or the other (except for my father, who wisely fall somewhere in the middle.) Either I WILL get married, or I should devote my entire earthly life to celibacy.

Over the past few months, however, I've found myself really meditating on the idea of marriage. See, it's easy to say "I want to get married!" when you know someone you think you want to marry or "I'm swearing off boys forever!" when that person just TOTALLY played you, but for a while now, I've found myself simply at peace and not saying I will or I won't. Last week was really confirmation to me in this area. I found God telling me, "You only deserve someone who lives with total abandonment for the cause of Christ, and until that person comes along, you are to just strive to be the woman I created in you." Simple as that.

This was freeing for me, to be perfectly honest-- to know that God has created me as an individual entity that doesn't have to sit around and wait for a husband before I can accomplish ministry. Furthermore, God allowed me to throw out all of my "standards" but one-- total abandonment for the cause of Christ. To hold any other standard than that is to limit God in who He has me marry. God knows the desires of my heart, and while I am quick to assure all of my friends that they will find just the person God has for them, I still keep thinking, "mine HAS to love to read, he HAS to want to homeschool his kids, etc...", but it's not in my control anyway, and if it is God's will for me to marry a man like that, then I most definitely will have opportunity. I've found that it was not marital direction that God was pressing my heart to find, but contentment in knowing that He knows me (and my future husband!) much better than I do.

Until I find that perfect or almost-there boy, though, I'm fervently praying that God will guard my heart, because when I try to do it, I either fail miserably or I end up passing up chances.
Only He can do it right... story of my life.

5 comments:

Dr. Terry M. Goodwin said...

And it is from this place where you find yourself today that God can truly begin to lead you and bless you in all the desires of your heart.

From any other starting point it is our "self" that leads the way. Praise God for a content and surrendered heart.

Bob Carder said...

God will reveal the perfect partner for you. You will make the perfect partner for him.

I'm praying for you and for the contentment such a union brings.

You are a beautiful person inside and out. You honor God will your life and love and commitment to Him and He will honor you as well.

Anonymous said...

In my own experiance it wasn't until I was truly at rest with this subject and foucused on Christ that God joined my wife and I along side eachother
So be at rest sister and enjoy your sole love relationship with Christ.

Lori said...

I totally agree with tossing out the standards we hold our would be spouses to before we even meet. Bri and I were extreme opposites when we met. I think the only standard on my checklist that Brian met was the one requiring that he be a male. Quite honestly, the whole idea of our perfect Prince Charming marching into our lives and matching our marital wishlist is a bunch of crap - excuse me, a pile of pooh.

Man judges by the outward appearance but God sees the heart -and the heart is what you give in marriage and the heart is what you take as well. So, you are very right to faithfully guard yours! Your single standard of abandonment to Christ points to the heart. When you meet one with the same heartbeat as your own you will know it and will look to that heart beyond any external list you may have lingering in your mind. THAT will be the perfect ONE.

With all that said, I will personally pray that your man will have the ability TO read - just in case God takes the "extreme opposites get married" approach in your life as he has in mine.

Mon said...

Hi. I am married to Lori's brother. I very much admire you for waiting for that Godly husband in your life. When Tim and I got married neither of us were living our lives for God. Tim has some pretty good background training, but with my Catholic up brining when it came to TRUELY knowing Jesus, I was clueless. It hasn't always been easy for us. Honestly, there was a period when I wished I had become a Christian before I married thinking that it would have made life easier. Today, I can see why God brought the two of us together. If it wasn't for Tim, Lori and their mom, I wouldn't be serving God today.

“Ima” (The Prodigal’s Mother)

 Birth is the only jubilant end To one life being shared with another. Not so joyous is the letting go that comes after. No one told me what...