{Worth the Wait}

Some private colleges have certain mottos or "superstitions" of finding a husband, or a wife. My school, for example, has the York arch. Legend has it if you hold hands with someone & walk under that arch, that will be the person you will eventually marry, other school have clock towers that you walk under, the list is endless. There's also the "Ring by Spring" fear, or the "Three swings & a ring" saying running around causing & creating fear of finding a future mate. Growing up, we all have our puppy crushes & dream about the perfect wedding the big ball gown dress & flowers, but do you ever stop to think of who will be standing at the end of the aisle waiting to take you as his wife? We all set out looking for someone who best suits us. Same beliefs, morals, values, sense of humor, personality, or equivalent looks. We look for outward things in our perspective spouses. But wouldn't it be nice to put together the perfect "Mr. (Mrs.) Right"? But shouldn't we be excited for the wait? We should make the best of the wait because there is something in the making rolling out for you right now.

We spend so much time looking for Prince Charming, and there are so many things we want in the right guy. Wouldn't it be nice to be able to pick the traits that we would hope to find in our "dream guy"? I mean I would pick things like:

A Heart like David
Wisdom like Solomon
Strength like Samson
Faithfulness like Job
Love like Jesus
Good looks like Saul
Trust like Abraham
Curiosity like Zacchaeus
Friendship like Johnathan

But while we're searching for these types of things in our spouse potentials we might want to take a step back & take a look in the mirror at ourselves. Are we, as women, putting off the right vibes that we are looking for a good, Christian man? Is our lifestyle pure? Are we showing the kindness & love to just a select few of people or everyone? We need to be as much of a "dream girl" as what we would expect of our male counterparts to be a Prince Charming for us. Maybe we should be striving to have traits like some women in the Bible:

Fearlessness like Ester
Devotion like Ruth
Willingness to learn like Mary, Martha's sister
Bravery like the Bleeding Woman
The want to be loved like the Woman at the Well
Hope like Hannah
Faith like Mary

Ephesians 5: 22-28, 33 says "Wives submit to your husbands as you do to the Lord. For the husband is the head of the wife as Christ is the head of the church, his body, which he is the Savior. Now as the church submits to Christ, so also should wives submit to their husbands in everything. Husbands, love your wives, as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her, to make her holy, cleansing her by washing her with water through the word, and to present herself to himself as a radiant church, with a stain or wrinkle or blemish but holy and blameless. In this same way, husbands ought to love their wives as their own bodies. He who loves his wife, loves himself... However, each one of you also must love his wife as e loves himself, and the wife must respect her husband."

Ladies, if this man isn't going to do everything in his earthly power to get you to heaven, then find a man who will make that his goal. & Fellas, if your girl isn't going to serve, honor, & love you unconditionally, then you find yourself a woman who will.

As for me, I'm still looking for my Mr. Right, but I know that God has a plan in store for me, & some day I will eventually get to see that unfold, & just maybe He's trying to make me in the Mrs. Right that some lucky guy is looking for. All I know is that it's time to wait & have faith that my Lord will do whatever is best for me. His plan may not be my plan, & I need to realize that what He has in store for me is better than anything I could try to accomplish on my own.

Peace & love.

B.

{I am NOT afraid}

"Jesus is my best friend, Jesus is my best friend, Jesus is my best friend, I am not afraid." At such a young age, I was taught this song in Sunday Bible school class. He is my night light. Jesus is my rock. But most importantly my best friend. I was taught not to be afraid because He would always be there just like any best friend would. God's love will always be the love I will fall back on & will always be the most accountable. People will fail me, but my God will not. He will always be there, & I do not need to worry. "Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer & petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. & the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts & minds in Christ Jesus." Philippians 4:6-7.

With life comes stress & worry. But we must cast our burdens upon the Lord, & He will give us peace. He will show us love. If we were to worry about our spiritual lives as much as we do our physical lives, can you imagine where our relationship with God would go? Can you imagine the extents it would reach & how you would bless His name with your every action, word, & thought? If we spent half the amount of time we do worrying about money or what other people thought of us, & utilized that time to bring honor & glory to our Lord & Savior, our spiritual lives would be in much better health than what they are now. I know that i spend the majority of my time worrying about what others think of me. I'm constantly wanted to be accepted  be pretty enough, smart enough, strong enough, skinny enough, the list goes on & on of me wanting people to see all of the physical attributes I possess & I don't focus on letting my light shine for Him, but I try to make it shine for myself. I have become a self-righteous person, but heyyo, let's look at Proverbs 26:12 "Do you see a man wise in his own eyes? There is more hope for a fool, than for him." Whoa. Deep stuff there.

We worry about tomorrow. We worry about yesterday. & we worry about the future. By why? What makes us so scared? When we have a God who is for us, who will be against us? {Romans 8:31} We don't need to worry, God has got our back!

"You are my hiding place; you will protect me from my trouble & surround me with songs of deliverance." Psalm 91:15. Boom, God is there, He will always be there. We shouldn't worry about our worldly lives, but our spiritual ones. It is through Jesus that we make it to Heaven, not through the impressions we make on other people. So don't worry, God has a plan.

Peace & love.
B.