So two years ago on Valentine's Day I had this new vision for life. It dramatically changed the way I looked at life and at relationships. You can read more about that experience in my About Me section.
I then started a blog about it! Here I have chronicled my adventures in preparing for a future valentine. And last year I had my first official Valentine's Day while blogging. Blog Post: Valentine's Day. In that post I said that though I was still not in a relationship with a man, I was in a wonderful relationship with Jesus. And I laid out in a unique way the "flowers," "chocolates," and "cards" that I had received from him.
But this year is a little different for me. I have a Valentine this year! I love to tell people our story, and even wrote a whole post about it titled Exceedingly and Abundantly More. I also wrote an allegorical post about my personal story and the way the story of Kyle and I weaved into it. Redeemed Friend of the King.
So this year was a little different than past years. I woke to a very sweet text, went through the day knowing that I had someone special praying for and thinking of me, got to have a lovely conversation with Kyle this afternoon, and found yet another message on my Facebook page that was quite a delight.
I am just so excited that God has given me such a wonderful valentine, and yet at the same time allowed me to see how important it is for me to continue to grow ever closer to Christ. This is very important, as I always struggled with this idea that once I was in relationship, once a guy cared for me, once I was married, etc, than life would be pretty much perfect. At a head level, I knew that wasn't true, but at a heart level, I really struggled with it.
But the way that I have had to trust so much and listen so closely to God in the past few months has caused me to draw even closer to God rather than thinking I no longer need Him. Yes, it is hard to have a long-distance, long-term relationship. But the fact that Kyle is farther away has caused me to draw closer to God. And the long-term part has given me the opportunity to recognize the wisdom of taking advantage of the time I have now to delve deeper into scripture and really spend time in the Word and learn much now while I am still anxious about the things of the Lord and not anxious of the things of a husband and family.
"And the unmarried or betrothed woman is anxious about the things of the Lord, how to be holy in body and spirit. But the married woman is anxious about worldly things, how to please her husband. I say this for your own benefit, not to lay any restraint upon you, but to promote good order and to secure your undivided devotion to the Lord." -1 Corinthians 7:34-35
I always wondered why the "betrothed" woman was put in the same category as the "unmarried" woman. But now I understand. They both are single, and are anxious about the things of the Lord. For the time being, their interests are not divided between husband and Lord. There is nothing wrong with being married and wanting to please your husband, but the time being single should be taken advantage of by being anxious and eager for the things of the Lord; how to be holy in body and spirit. A woman that I greatly admire fleshed this out even a little more using a specific thought she had received on another passage of scripture.
"Then the kingdom of heaven will be like ten virgins who took their lamps and went to meet the bridegroom. Five of them were foolish, and five were wise. For when the foolish took their lamps, they took no oil with them, but the wise took flasks of oil with their lamps. As the bridegroom was delayed, they all became drowsy and slept. But at midnight there was a cry, ‘Here is the bridegroom! Come out to meet him.’ Then all those virgins rose and trimmed their lamps. And the foolish said to the wise, ‘Give us some of your oil, for our lamps are going out.’ But the wise answered, saying, ‘Since there will not be enough for us and for you, go rather to the dealers and buy for yourselves.’ And while they were going to buy, the bridegroom came, and those who were ready went in with him to the marriage feast, and the door was shut." -Matthew 25:1-10
My friend took this passage and challenged me to keep my oil burning. To not use this time of waiting for my "bridegroom" foolishly, but to use it wisely. To take advantage of the time, to keep my oil burning, and to engross myself in the Word. I was very thankful for her advice, and am daily praying that God will use this time as He wants to, and that I will be anxious always for the things of the Lord.
So going back to my earlier phrase "I am just so excited that God has given me such a wonderful valentine, and yet at the same time allowed me to see how important it is for me to continue to grow ever closer to Christ." Well, I think I just fleshed out the latter part of that, but would like to take just a couple minutes to write a few words pertaining to the earlier part of that phrase.
I am indeed very excited that God has given me such a wonderful valentine this year! He truly is an amazing man, and I find it so exhilarating to now get to share in his daily growth in Christ. Kyle's passion for a life spent seeking after God's glory and perfect will is truly wonderful to see, and is both convicting and inspiring. I am so wonderfully blessed that I get to be part of his incredible journey! I want to tell the whole world how wonderful Kyle is, but I just don't think my words are adequate to do so. So for now suffice it to say that he is a man that allows God to work through him and thus has become a wonderful new creation in Christ. Yes, it is very exciting!
I hope that my story, and the way I have recognized the wonderful working of God and his many blessings this Valentine's Day will encourage and uplift you as you read it! Remember the God that you serve this Valentine's Day and the many blessings He bestows on those He loves.
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