lady of faith

"Your hope cannot be put in some dreamed-up future. It must be in the God who knows your past, present and future, and loves you enough to give you the best." (page 43)

chapter 3 starts off with which states have an abundance of men, you know if you were spouse-hunting. and just in case you were wondering those states are Alaska, Montana and Florida...where i do not live...but i really don't think that is the issue.

i enjoyed the story about a lady who went to a Christian college assuming she would find Mr.Right while there. she didn't and her Mr.Right ended up being someone from her small hometown. i know i've addressed this before but i sometimes have the fear/thought that if i would have attended the Christian college with all my friends, i would totally be married by now...but it's nice to be reminded that surely isn't a guarantee. 

a main point of this chapter is that we (single women) should not just attend events and participate in activities where we think there is a good chance of meeting someone. While it's totally good to be an active participant, we need to examine our motives for attending. i really, really liked this point and i'm not going to lie...i am definitely guilty of trying to find the cute, single boy at most events. i mean i just like to know who it's going to be. so i need to work on this...especially the examining my motives for attending different events. i will say i think i've gotten a little better with this concept but i know it was definitely one of the first things i thought about 2-ish years ago.

"You may wonder, "How can I be a Lady of Faith when I feel so insecure deep in my heart that God will deliver the goods? What if  I have faith in God and end up being 98 and unmarried?" Of course, you would never outright admit that you're not sure you can trust God. That would appear too ungodly! But there's that sneaking fear in the back of your ming: "If I really give up my search and have 'eyes of faith,' God might not give me what I desire, like a husband, a home and children." God knows when your heart aches for these precious things. But he also knows that these earthly things will not make you secure." (page 43-44)

the above was a fairly long passage to include, but i thought it really explained what i'm sometimes feeling. i mean most days i'm pretty sure that i'll end up married and everything. and it's honestly not a constant fear of mine that i'll be alone, 98 and unmarried. but i think it's only natural that every once in a while i think the above thoughts. i think the main thing i take away from the above passage (and really this entire book) is that finding a guy won't "fix" everything else that isn't quite right in my life. and i think that ultimately this is a message that all young women need to be hearing. i also think that the above passage might have been a little too 'real' for me to read 7 or so years ago. i was definitely not a point where i would even want to consider being unmarried and 30 (much less 98). i mean no one young girl wants to think about what-if she never gets married. and the majority of those girls totally will...but everyone could stand to hear that the boy doesn't make you more secure in your skin...or closer to God.

the best line/phrase in this chapter is the following "If Jesus wants you married, he will orchestrate the encounter." (page 45) The book goes on to say that Jesus has our best interest at heart. okay so that concept alone is mind-boggling...but it makes me feel so much better about looking for the right guy...and really just life in general. 

the chapter closes with short stories about women keeping their 'eyes of faith' and how Mr.Right was brought into their lives. 

"Don't fear or resent the waiting periods in your life. They are the very gardens where the seeds of faith blossom." (page 48)

[chapter 3 Lady in Waiting]