Something old, something new, something borrowed, something blue.
Ever since a young age girls are thinking about their own weddings, or just weddings in general. I was never really one of those girls, but since college I have been thinking about mine more and more. They say, “College is where you’ll find your spouse.” The combination of that stuck in my head and going to so many weddings every summer I have started wondering “Well God, I’ve been waiting, so where is my Prince Charming? Hmmm maybe he’s bad with directions and is lost. Yeah, I’m sure that’s it!”
Then I get accepted for the Race and think “Oh yeah, now he will definitely get lost. I’m traveling from country to country every month for a year.” Added on top of that I had people back home tell me “What you’re doing is not making you any more available; traveling from country to country is not appealing to many guys.” And then the common saying many of us Racers have heard – “Maybe you’ll find your husband on the Race in one of those countries.” Fabulous, now people are trying to set me up for a long distance relationship!
Why are we so concerned and put so much emphasis on finding that “special someone”, getting married, settling down, and having a family?
What’s wrong with traveling from country to country every month or year or just being someplace else other than the States? Paul traveled from city to city without a significant other; if he could do it so can I.
I think Paul did just fine as a single man because of one thing – he knew the One for him was Jesus Christ and he was more satisfied in that than anything else.
That’s what God taught me last month in Bolivia – that He is my One. I’m His bride so I don’t have to worry about finding any earthly love. At the beginning of the month he told me that I can have the most extravagant wedding in the world…when I surrender everything to Him. I am the bride and Christ is the bridegroom. My marriage, promise, and love to Him is the one that counts.
So last month I worked on surrendering all of this to him. I’m still figuring this whole thing out, but I am positive about a couple things – Christ calls me his beloved and nothing I have done or will do can stop that.
While I was processing through my identity in Christ at the beginning of the month in Bolivia, God placed on my heart to read Redeeming Love by Francine Rivers. I had heard about it from other people on my squad but I was honestly avoiding the book, but God doesn’t give up. I read it in a few days and my perspective on God’s love for me has changed. I have been blown away by His love for me. This Christian fiction book is about the story of Hosea and Gomer in the Bible. Read the book of Hosea and you can see that no matter how many awful things we do or say or think He will always take us back. He pursues us more than anyone. I have a new picture of what it is like to be pursued by God. I have also realized that I haven’t been pursuing Him back. Things are changing, though.
Last month I gave everything over to God, and I walked down the aisle to my bridegroom. I sit here not worrying about where my Prince Charming is anymore. He’s in Peru with me and is more than willing to travel alongside me to every country. Yes, I did find my One on the Race, but not in the way everyone was thinking, but I like this better.
I have said those words “Until death do us part”. Do you know what the best part is? There is no ‘death’ when it comes to marrying Christ so this marriage is for eternity.
Grace and Peace,
Hannah
