Yeah, I said it.
I’m pretty sure most single women have the thought or two cross their mind about dating…if not often then at least once in a great while. I remember being 20 and having the plan that I would be engaged at 24, married at 25, have a child by 28 or so…my husband and I will obviously take our time before children. Duh. Well, 28 has come and I have no children, no marriage, no engagement, and am not even dating anyone!
I had terrible relationships with boys in high school, college, and then going into my mid 20’s. It was just about every bad scenario that you can imagine and everything done backwards. I found Jesus when I was 25 years old and was wrecked for Him shortly after as I went out onto the mission field and decided that guys weren’t even anything I wanted to breathe a thought into. Shortly after I found myself living in Georgia; ready to ‘settle’ down, get married to the man of my dreams who loves Jesus, and who has the same desire for ministry as myself. Oh my, how I was seriously mistaken.
As the months came and went, along with me turning 28, I have decided to calm it down a bit and actually breathe. And guess what…I had my first date in 3 years last night. Now, typically I would never write a blog about a date, but I want to bring you in on something that I found extraordinary.
Last night an amazing, tall, gentle, blue eyed gentleman waited for me outside of a restaurant. He opened every door for me, he paid for the expensive dinner, he kept conversation flowing, he was interested in me and asked questions, he walked me to my car, and to be honest there wasn’t anything much I could find wrong with the date. I got into my car and squealed like a little 7 year old girl finding her new Barbie car in the garage and called my roommate to divulge in every detail. It was fun, refreshing…it was something I had NEVER experienced in my years growing up (doing every other relationship backwards). It was as if this was my first date ever.
This morning I woke up and decide to continue listening to a study on Abraham in Genesis, but I turn it on and I hear a woman start talking about Sara. This is not what I expected at all, but I continue to see what she says about it all and naturally…in comes her talking about relationships (go figure). But all of a sudden she starts talking about her inheritance…peg me intrigued. She begins to tell a story about how she almost got married, almost got the white picket fence, almost got the Pottery Barn filled living room, and everything almost fell into place. But God had a different white picket fence for her. He had her inheritance.
It came to me like a freshly bought halogen light that blinds you in the morning. In the midst of the excitement last night, in the midst of the pretty package, big blue eyes, door opening, amazing man…he wasn’t on fire for Jesus. To be honest, I’m not even sure if he’s a believer at all. I was so caught up in the ‘first date’ in three years that I slowly felt the wind blow across my thoughts and almost take away my inheritance.
[Ashley, I have a greater plan for you than you even know. You have thoughts of this being a guy who’s worth a second date, because you think you’re worth settling for. You’re more than just being settled for. You’re worth being pursued. You will find a man who chases after Me, who wants to do ministry with you and with Me, a man who’s unashamed, and on fire. You won’t settle for just a gentleman who’s nice.]
I don’t want to get to a place in my life where I’m like Sara; impatient, tired of waiting, wanting to just settle with doing it on her own and getting Hagar to help her out.
Ishmael’s come from impatience and settling.
Jesus comes from knowing your inheritance and not settling for anything less.
