Rules of Engagement
From the time I was a little girl, I have been a hopeless romantic. I love to cuddle up in front of the television, pop in a movie, and spend quality time with me, myself, and I (with the occasional addition of Zac Efron or Armie Hammer).
How can you not love the glass slipper? The prince? And, of course, the Happily Ever After. The other day I watched a movie called Cheerful Weather for a Wedding. Sounds happy, right? That's what I thought, too.
Yeah, no.
It's about a girl who has to decide between the boy she's loved since she was a teenager, and the boy her mother picked out for her to marry, and in the end, she marries the one she doesn't love. And that's the end. Fade to black. Credits scroll.
I watched the end over and over, each time hoping that the ending of the story would change. That she would change her mind. That love would win in the end. After my fifth time of rewinding it and watching it over and over again, I finally accepted that the end wouldn't change. No matter how many times I watched it. No matter how many times Iyelled at the girl on the screen like a crazy person to choose the boy she loved silently wished for a happily ever after. The end would never change.
That was a whole lot of information to say one thing: I am a strong proponent of love, of fighting for what you believe in, and of happily ever after.
Recently, my older sister got engaged. It was like a fairy tale, filled with candles, roses, and a cozy little gazebo by the lake.
I have had the amazing opportunity to sit in the front row of their relationship since the beginning: her freshman year of high school. And it is proof that God is far better at writing love stories than Shakespeare, Stephenie Meyer, and yes, even Nicholas Sparks.
Ladies who have all but given up on finding a man of purity who loves the Lord, let me just say I am right there beside you. I know what it is like to feel like you are not good enough, not worthy of affection, and nobody will ever love you. And I admit, I, probably more than anyone, have believed these lies.
But for just one second, one second, please drop down your barriers, shove away your insecurities, and listen. Don't just hear, but listen:
You are good enough.
You are worthy of affection.
And you are already loved, more than you will ever be able to understand.
I am not exactly qualified to give relationship advice, seeing as I've never been, well, in a relationship, but I can personally attest that nothing is more satisfying than pursuing Christ with all your heart. Not straight A's. Not being the star of the sport's team. Not having the most friends. And certainly not a boy.
Instead of sitting around on the front porch in my rocking chair, waiting for Mr. Right, I have chosen to strive to be Mrs. Right. From the inside out, I am letting God change me. I am trying to pursue Him, His purposes, and His passions.
I am learning to put down my pencil, and let Him write my love story.
How can you not love the glass slipper? The prince? And, of course, the Happily Ever After. The other day I watched a movie called Cheerful Weather for a Wedding. Sounds happy, right? That's what I thought, too.
Yeah, no.
It's about a girl who has to decide between the boy she's loved since she was a teenager, and the boy her mother picked out for her to marry, and in the end, she marries the one she doesn't love. And that's the end. Fade to black. Credits scroll.
I watched the end over and over, each time hoping that the ending of the story would change. That she would change her mind. That love would win in the end. After my fifth time of rewinding it and watching it over and over again, I finally accepted that the end wouldn't change. No matter how many times I watched it. No matter how many times I
That was a whole lot of information to say one thing: I am a strong proponent of love, of fighting for what you believe in, and of happily ever after.
Recently, my older sister got engaged. It was like a fairy tale, filled with candles, roses, and a cozy little gazebo by the lake.
I have had the amazing opportunity to sit in the front row of their relationship since the beginning: her freshman year of high school. And it is proof that God is far better at writing love stories than Shakespeare, Stephenie Meyer, and yes, even Nicholas Sparks.
Ladies who have all but given up on finding a man of purity who loves the Lord, let me just say I am right there beside you. I know what it is like to feel like you are not good enough, not worthy of affection, and nobody will ever love you. And I admit, I, probably more than anyone, have believed these lies.
But for just one second, one second, please drop down your barriers, shove away your insecurities, and listen. Don't just hear, but listen:
You are good enough.
You are worthy of affection.
And you are already loved, more than you will ever be able to understand.
I am not exactly qualified to give relationship advice, seeing as I've never been, well, in a relationship, but I can personally attest that nothing is more satisfying than pursuing Christ with all your heart. Not straight A's. Not being the star of the sport's team. Not having the most friends. And certainly not a boy.
Instead of sitting around on the front porch in my rocking chair, waiting for Mr. Right, I have chosen to strive to be Mrs. Right. From the inside out, I am letting God change me. I am trying to pursue Him, His purposes, and His passions.
I am learning to put down my pencil, and let Him write my love story.
