Waiting, Waiting, Waiting

I have to admit: sometimes I really don’t believe that old saying “all good things come to those who wait.” I’ve grown up in a world where instant gratification is so prevalent that everyone seems to think it is necessary. Want food? Just call the number on the website and either have it delivered to your door or it will be ready for you to pick up in just a few minutes. Want to know something? Just Google it and you’ll be a genius in seconds. Want a boyfriend/girlfriend? Just go on an online dating site and you’ll probably meet someone within days***. Or you could always just settle and go out with that guy that you really don’t like but you enjoy the attention he gives you. A fast paced, quickly delivered, and high demanding world does not set foundations of patience.

I know I know, I’m only sixteen but I’m tired of the “you’ve NEVER had a boyfriend?!” statements or the “oh, but you’re pretty! I would think that boys would be all over you!” comments. And not to mention the times when my friends are all talking about their exes and I’m just sitting there thinking, “Why does no one like me? Why am I not good enough?” I could pity myself all day long, but instead of falling for that trap, I’ve decided to learn how to be thankful. I am thankful for my lack of exes and heartaches, I’m thankful that I haven’t had to deal with all of the drama of breakups and pointless relationships that don’t lead to marriage. I am thankful that God has given me the intuition to know when to end it with a guy before it turns into one of those meaningless relationships. I am thankful that I haven’t given away my heart and the love that should be saved for my future husband.

How precious would it be if I saved everything, emotionally and physically, for just one guy to have? It’s something that the world has taken for granted. Maybe it works for some people, but divorce rates are higher than ever before and I don’t want loads of baggage to weigh my relationship down for the rest of my life. It’s one of the hardest things to wait in uncertainty, but I am choosing to believe God’s truth:

“I believe that I shall look upon the goodness of the LORD in the land of the living! 14 Wait for the LORD; be strong, and let your heart take courage; wait for the LORD!” ~ Psalm 27:13-14

Now, if you are someone that HAS had past failed relationships and you feel like you are carrying around unwanted baggage, I just want to let you know that it’s not too late. It’s not too late to wait. God can and will make you pure and He will carry any burdens that you have. The most important thing that you need to know is that no guy or girl will ever be able to satisfy all of your needs, so don’t wait for your “one” to come along to place your burdens upon them. As my mentor, Cameron, once told me, “No person will ever have the strength to carry your soul. Only God is strong enough to hold something as delicate and eternal as a soul,” or something along those lines. Since Jesus tore down the boundaries between us and God, we DON’T have to wait for Him any longer. The world provides instant gratification, but God provides eternal gratification.

“Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.” ~ Matthew 11:28

“Trust in the Lord, and do good; dwell in the land and befriend faithfulness. 4 Delight yourself in the Lord, and he will give you the desires of your heart. 5 Commit your way to the Lord; trust in him, and he will act.” ~ Psalm 37:3-5

Please don’t settle! Sisters, don’t go out with some guy just because he gives you the attention you have always desired. Brothers, don’t go out with some girl just because she’s hot. OR vice versa. Wait for someone who is beautiful because they reflect God’s image, someone who leads you closer to Him, someone who respects you and treats you like the child of God that you are! Wait for someone who has the same passions and desires as you, someone who you KNOW you could live the whole rest of your life with and wouldn’t want to live without, someone who isn’t perfect but will teach you how to be holy and be a servant like Jesus, someone who would be willing to wait for you too! Trust that in this waiting, He is making you beautiful. And if His plan is for you to get married one day, trust that He is making your future husband/wife beautiful too.

*** Don’t get me wrong, sometimes great relationships come over the internet and/or dating websites. I know people that it HAS worked out for. I am simply using it as an example for instant gratification because people my age shouldn't be so desperate that they think they have to use an online dating site.