Working While Waiting
I am putting pressure on myself to find a man to date and marry before Jesus comes back. People are throwing out assumptions of when the Son of Man will return, which I think is just silly.
Who are we to assume when Jesus is coming back?
“But about that day or hour no one knows, not even the angels in heaven, nor the Son of Man, but only the Father.”
-Mark 13:32 New International Version
There we go trying to control something that is FAR out of our reach.
Jesus could return at any time, so we need to be ready; it could be tomorrow, next week, five years, or seven years. We just do not know, and I do not think we are meant to know. That is called having faith.
My hunt to find a man to date/marry has an unknown time crunch; the thing is I want to experience my first kiss. Yep, I am thirty years old, and I have never been kissed. I am saving my first kiss for the man I will be building the rest of my life with; I am not out here kissing frogs hoping to find a prince. I believe God will provide me a prince at the right time.
When my young friend started dating someone she encouraged me with the word of Disney’s Mulan,
“The flower that blooms in adversity is the rarest and most beautiful of all.”
-The Emperor
Adversity, can be described as “opposing one’s interest or desire.”
I have been single for the better part of fifteen years; in the first ten years, I felt that my interests and desires were being withheld from me. I wanted to get married at eighteen. I wanted to start having babies at twenty. Notice that was what I wanted. It seems God has different plans. He gave me this single path and frankly, at thirty years old, I am tired of being a solo and I am ready for my duo partner. If you are like me, walking this single path and have a fervent desire for marriage, there is something we can do while we wait. The Bible says “faith without works” is dead. Now if we have faith, God will provide us with a prince. Maybe it is time we put a little work in.
For me, putting the work in is not making business cards with my number on it to hand out to the eligible bachelors or head to the sports bar. No, I am putting the work in on my heart, mind, and body to prepare for my prince charming.
BODY
I start by taking care of what a guy can see.
I am sure you have heard someone say, “My body is a temple.”
Well, for believers it is.
“Don’t you realize that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit, who lives in you and was given to you by God? You do not belong to yourself.”
-2 Corinthians 6:19 New Living Translation
Our bodies are indeed temples.
We have been given this temple to take care of, so are you doing that?
Taking care of my body means two things.
I walk almost every day. I have two dogs, plus I am a pet sitter, so I am always walking. Whether I am at home or on a job, there are pets who need to be taken care of. I try to get 6,000 steps in a day; some days I don’t make it and that is okay - I will try again the next day!
Another element of taking care of my body is eating right. When your diet is right, everything is simply better. This past summer I realized that I had eaten five frozen pizzas in a month!! For me, that was uncharacteristic, even though it was “healthy thin crust” pizza; I have never been a big junk food eater, but that quickly changed when I needed something easy to eat on the job. It was a problem and needed to change. July was the start of eating right for me. That means fresh vegetables, fresh fruits, whole grains, and lean proteins. I love bread and potatoes; potatoes are my favorite food cooked anyway. I do eat those things, but in moderation. Last week, I had French fries and bread, and they both were amazing. It is not like I indulge in those things every day as I try to maintain a balance.
MIND
I have written in an earlier article that our heart attitudes are formed in the mind, so that means we need to protect our minds; I do this is two ways:
I watch what I watch.
By that I mean I check the rating, and I do not watch what is mainstream. In a conversation talking about current TV shows, I would be lost. I watch old black and white Western TV shows (I have two brothers, thank you) and crime TV shows. Not to be confused with true crime, I need to watch something where the crime is made up. The remake of Hawaii 5-O and NCIS are two of my favorites. When I am on a pet sitting job, you may find me on the couch watching a TV show that I have already seen because I know it is a good show. It is also important to look at the books we are reading. The images portrayed in books can take our mind and heart to some dangerous places.
When life gets crazy, talk it out
Writing out my problems is great, but sometimes I just need to talk to someone. I have a counselor, and my best friend is a licensed therapist. I feel like there is a negative connotation to going to therapy. I guess some people see it as you cannot fix your own problems, but I am proud to tell you I see a counselor. We were made to do life together and not to isolate. Isolating is one of Satan’s favorite tactics. Talking it out with someone is not you saying you cannot fix it on your own, you just need someone to help carry the load. Or maybe it is saying you cannot fix it on your own which is a healthy admission. We aren’t supposed to fix it on our own.
HEART
“Keep your heart with all vigilance, for from it flow the springs of life.”
-Proverbs 4:23 English Standard Version
To be vigilant is to be watchful and to look out for danger. Like a deer. Deer travel in pairs to watch for danger. I live in the woods and have never seen a solo deer. We have to be watchful of where our hearts are going. They can easily run away. For me, guarding my heart is prioritizing my relationship with Jesus. If He brings me a prince or not, that is the one relationship that will NEVER change, everything in my life may change, but that relationship NEVER does. A friend asked me once, “What will you do if God doesn’t have a husband for you?” without skipping a beat, I replied, “Praise Him.” Whether he delivers my heart’s desire or not, He is still worthy of my praise.
Even if I never say I do, I will still praise Him.
“I’ll never be loved more than I am right now.”
-Jireh, Elevation Worship & Maverick City Music
An earthly man’s love will never compare to how abundantly God loves us, but we single ladies are hunting for someone to love us like that.
My prince will come and give me my first kiss when God says it is time. Until then I am waiting and trusting. While I am waiting, I am working on my body, mind and heart.
“We are pressed on every side by troubles, but we are not crushed. We are perplexed, but not driven to despair.”
-2 Corinthians 4:8 New Living Translation
Stay strong, single girl! I am rooting for you!!