Recently, I read a great line in one of my romance novels that transported me back in time. It went something like this:
I don’t get it. Why doesn't anyone want to date me? I’m totally fun. I dress nicely. I’m friendly. I’d love to date me….
 |
| My prom picture |
Seriously, this was my mantra in high school,
college, and beyond. I was the Dateless Wonder. I literally took my cousin to prom. Sad, I know! Especially since
I designed my own prom dress and it was custom-made by my awesome mom. I was
definitely born in the wrong era and not appreciated in my own. Anyways I
digress…
I’d like to tell you that one day your Knight in
Shining Armor will show up at your castle but I think most Knights today have
misplaced their chivalry handbook. In the mean time, instead of waiting in the
castle, there’s a whole kingdom of adventures waiting for you.
This summer, a friend lent me the first 4 seasons of
Downton Abbey. My daughter and I are totally addicted. It’s been a great
bonding and teaching tool (OK, that’s my excuse for watching 5 hours of DVDs on
lazy summer days). My daughter will pause the DVD to ask questions like:
- Why do the girls have to be chaperoned?
- Why do girls wear gloves all the time?
- Why do they have to cover their shoulders with a shawl?
- What’s the big deal if you run away with the chauffeur? They’re in love.
My answer…
Those were the glorious days when girls were raised
to be “ladies”. A lady is defined as a
well-mannered, virtuous, and considerate woman with high standards of proper
behavior. Attaining the favor of a lady was a challenge for gentlemen in those
days. Men met that challenge because more was expected of them. They had to
storm the castle, climb the tower, and slay a dragon. Somewhere
along the line, ladies have stopped believing they are worthy of the challenge
so men have put down their armor. Very sad. Let’s change that. Let's pray for spiritual revival among our young men. Men were designed by God to be Knights and they need to be reminded to fight the good fight. Not only in relationships but for the sake of Gospel of Jesus Christ. But meanwhile....
My favorite character in the series is poor Edith.
My daughter doesn't get why I love her so much. It’s because, if I lived in
Downton Abbey, I would be Edith. I was always unlucky in love but desperately seeking
a grand romance. The only thing that bugs me about Edith’s story-line is that
just when she gains some confidence and independence as a columnist and writer,
she falls in love with a married guy. I literally ranted at the TV, scaring my
daughter, “He’s not the one. He’s not worthy of you. I don’t care if his wife
is in a loony bin, he is not your happily ever after.” If I were writing Edith’s story-line, the
married guy would be dead and I would make her editor of the magazine. It’s not
that I don’t want Edith to find love. I do. But I want her to finally
understand that she is worthy of a great love. She doesn't need to settle.
So Single Ladies listen up! God has a plan for your
life. Not for tomorrow but for today. Right now! Don't put your life on hold. Trust in God’s
timing. He wants the best for your life to start right now. You have all been
gifted with beauty, intelligence, creativity, talents, and a divinely designed
nurturing nature. If you are thinking, like I used to, “I must have been absent
when God was handing out beauty”, let me remind you that you have been created
in God’s image and He has made you beautiful because He is beautiful.
So using my Downton Abbey analogy, if a chauffeur
comes around and wants you to sneak behind your parent’s back. Raise your
gloved hand and say, “If you’re willing to meet my parents and court me
respectfully than I will love you regardless of whether you’re the chauffeur or
an Earl. If not, hit the road!” If a
good-looking Turkish Diplomat tries to sneak into your room for a good time,
without considering you worthy of marriage, kick his Turkish butt out the door.
He’s not worth the heartbreak. You get my drift. Life’s too short to waste on
Turkish diplomats, no matter how good looking they are. You get one life to
shine! Don’t waste a minute. If I could go back in time and talk to that
“Dateless Wonder” I would tell her:
Stop mopping. Go out and live life!
So here I am in the place of worship, eyes open, drinking in your strength and glory. In Your generous love I am really living at last! Psalm 63:2 (MSG)
Seek God and ask Him to fill you with a renewing of
His Holy Spirit’s love and power. Pray that He directs your steps and opens
doors of opportunity.
You will show me the way of life, granting me the joy of your presence and the pleasures of living with you forever. Psalm 16:11 (NLT)
Travel! Travel! Travel! Across the street, across town, or across the world. Go on a mission trip before
responsibilities of a family tie you down. See the world from God’s point of
view. Ask Him to give you His heart for the world.
Watch what God does, and then you do it, like children who learn proper behavior from their parents. Mostly what God does is love you. Keep company with Him and learn a life of love. Observe how Christ loved us. His love was not cautious but extravagant. He didn’t love in order to get something from us but to give everything of himself to us. Love like that. Ephesians 5:2 (MSG)
Be outgoing. Meet people. Pray
for spiritual boldness. Just yesterday, while floating around in a pool, I struck up a conversation with a 70-year old beautiful lady. We shared our love of books, writing, and wisdom that comes with age.
She told me she wanted me to write a blog post on why women her age feel invisible. Men seek younger women causing older women to feel ignored. I told her about this post because I think women of all
ages can feel invisible. The good news is we are NEVER invisible to God. God’s
word says that He knows our every thought, He counts our tears. He rejoices
over us. I was able to make my new friend
laugh and give her encouragement. She told me, “Wow, you are full of great
ideas.” See how easy it is to make someone feel VISIBLE. And when you touch
someone’s life, just for a moment, God’s up there in Heaven saying, “That’s my
Girl!”
So unplug from technology and plug in to real
people. Plug into a church that has single activities and ministries. Be in the
company of like-minded individuals. Falling in love is a chemical reaction
based on eye-contact, touch, shared laughter, and soul-to-soul connection. I’m
sorry but you can’t get soul-to-soul connection via text.
If you have a longing in your heart for children,
sponsor a child from a ministry organization, like Gospel for Asia, Promise
Child, or International Childcare Ministries. I have 4 sponsor children, each
from a different country. It’s not the
same as having your own child, I know, but with each sweet letter you receive
telling you how your sponsorship feeds, clothes, and shelters them, God will
start to fill that emptiness in your heart. I’d like to tell you a story about
a 26-year old single lady from my church. She was adopting a little girl
because she did not know if God was going to bring her a husband but she knew
that God was calling her to share her love with a child. I noticed that this
young lady had a tattoo on her back that simply read, “BE LOVE”. It struck me
that WOW, that’s all there is to it, being willing to “BE LOVE”. When we allow
God’s love for us to flow out to others, God refills our own cup of love to
overflowing, not so we can hoard it but so we can share it. If you still don’t believe
me, read the book, Kisses from Katie: A Story of Relentless Love and
Redemption. Her story will move,
challenge and inspire you.
Lastly, always remember that you (as a Believer) are
the bride of Christ. He has adorned you in radiant linen, dazzling and white
(Revelation 19:8 AMP) because He loves you. Even when you mess up, He still loves you. He’s cheering
you on. Saying, “MY Beloved, I’m coming back for you. Be patient. Stay strong. I’m
right here with you living in your heart. Can you feel my Spirit wanting you to
live an abundant life? Go get busy because I’m coming back for you. SOON!”
My prayer is that your spirit has been stirred by
God’s love for you. He wants you to depend on Him for comfort, support,
direction, inspiration, guidance, and joy.
He wants to fill you with His overwhelming love so that you can turn
around and share it with others. And believe me, when you shine with the love
and light of Jesus, heads will turn. And because I’m a hopeless romantic, let me tell you what happened to
that 26-year old lady from my church. About 6-months after I heard her speak at
my Woman’s Retreat, I saw her at church holding hands with a special someone. I
mean how could anyone resist someone who lived a life “Being Love”? I couldn't.
So you see, live the life God wants you to live NOW
and who knows what beautiful and amazing things God has in store for you in the
future. So I want you to get up, turn up the volume as high as it will go, and
dance with me to this song by Beckah Shae “Life”. Close your eyes and imagine a heavenly choir of angels dancing
all around us. And God whispering to your spirit, “You are my delight, MY Daughter, get ready for the adventure of your life.”
Love,
Yolanda
PS: I have 4 videos I would love for you to
watch. Two worship songs, Life and Still That Girl by Britt Nicole. And if you read this post
and still don’t believe this former Dateless Wonder, take a listen to this guy’s, Jefferson Bethke, point of view. I'm praying I get a man like this for my future son-in-law. His videos are called, How do you know someone is The One and Sexual Healing. Now, I've got your attention!
No comments:
Post a Comment
I appreciate your comments and feedback.