When I got back from the gym this morning, there he was – half-dressed for work in a button down shirt – bending over the necklace. Gently, carefully, painstakingly untangling the knotted chain. Patiently working through each knot. Taking thought for the small and insignificant of my life before tending to the important of his.
It has become crystal clear that His grace is more than enough for us, and that even as we wait for answers to our prayers, nothing in this life and in this world is more worthy of pursuit than His very presence. We know that this contentment and ability to rejoice in Him in the midst of pain-filled waiting is only possible because of His grace, and we praise Him that other people are seeing it and are being encouraged.
We like the Gilmore girls because they typify real life, but when people like Lorelai show up in our neighborhoods, churches and schools, we forget our evangelistic responsibility. We forget that it’s Lorelai who needed love so much she sought it all the wrong ways. We stand aside, the “Mrs. Kim”s of the world, only emerging to condemn and correct – but never to give, love, and listen.
To say “I love you” is a big step in a dating relationship. Love carries with it the weight of potential covenant and future intimacy. But how do you know when to say “I love you”? Like many of the relationship decisions discussed on this blog, the timing of “I love you” will look different for each couple. Even so, this individuality should be guided by biblical principles. God gives us His wisdom for questions like these.
Maybe you’ve spent the month doing a Bible study on giving thanks or posting “30 days of thanks” on your Facebook feed. Giving thanks is an excellent way to defeat discontent and focus on the Lord’s provision, but sometimes we fail to thank God for the things He’s given that we don’t actually like.
Why do some girls get asked out often, and others not at all? It’s a pressing question in Christian dating culture, and one I’ve been watching for a while. In fact I’ve had my thumb on the pulse of the “asked out” problem for quite a while now. And while there’s no easy answer for why some people never get asked out and others do, I think it’s worth discussing..
A man who loves God will know you’re not just a “good girl” who wants to be liked. He’ll know you’re a sinner saved by grace. He won’t just like you for what you can offer him; he’ll love you for what God is doing in your life, and for how well you’ve submitted to His leading. Only a man who knows Christ can see your flawed, failing heart and choose to love you anyway – and do it over and over again for the rest of his life.
She who grips her life – her wants, wishes, desires – will lose it. But she who loses her life – lets go of her dreams, pins them to the Cross, lets them die – she will find abundance and freedom.
So to you, dear girl: If you’re tired of the holding pattern, stop.
If you’re tired of waiting, stop.
If you’re sick of a less-than existence, stop.
He won’t want you because of your past or in spite of it. He’ll want you because you’re God’s woman: the kind of woman whose attachment to Grace echoes his own.
Stress: We all deal with it. I’m frequently asked for the resources I’ve used in my own journey out of anxiety, so here’s a round up of some books and posts to help you handle stress with faith and grace.