Welp.
Here we go again.
I know what this is.
I wasn’t expecting it so soon.
Dang homie. I have gone another year without a real date.
Shocker, right?
Not really.
I’ve been through this before. (Remember my two-year period with no date, no kiss, no nothing?). While I don’t prefer these moments, it is what it is. I’ve surrendered my life to God’s will and am waiting for the manifestation of His plan in matters of the heart.
Unfortunately, the wait comes with its own opposition. The enemy has been busy whispering lies. When I’m feeling “some type of way” (do people still say that?), he tries to plant seeds of doubt and discouragement to make me question the character of God:
If God truly loved you, don’t you think he would send you a husband by now?
Is He really an on-time God or is that just a cliché that church folks say to bypass your feelings?
That cute guy at church has completely ignored you. Now, what are you going to do? Maybe you’re not pretty enough?
That deceitful liar has been throwing these accusations my way every time I feel that familiar yearning for companionship. Or when I get around my friends and their husbands, his lies crawl up my leg and try to strangle my positive outlook.
Here you go being the fifth wheel again. Why does He allow you to continue to be in these situations? If He really cared, He would make a change, right?
It gets even worse when my body wants to wake up and remind me that it likes sex. It’s as if it sends off signals that mistakenly say that it wouldn’t mind having a connection and affection from somebody, anybody.
Why is He making you wait?
If He created sex, why won’t He let you enjoy it?
You could always go back to . . .
Stop right there – been there, done that and made the phone calls.
Satan is so simple-minded that he doesn’t even have the ability to try to come at me with something new. Just like he did Eve, he won’t outright say that God is wrong. He knows I won’t go for that. Instead, he will try to get me to question what God said based on my current circumstances. He will try to show me everything around me, just like he did Jesus, then offer me an alternative to get me off my path and purpose.
He wants to hit me with the same one-two punch not realizing that I’ve been studying and learning his moves. Just as a boxer watches his opponent’s fights to learn which hand is the weakest or a football player watches tape from a previous game to see what plays expose the opposing team, I’ve been reading my Word and learning to fight that conniving serpent.
Not tuh-day, Satan!
I’m not giving in to those hopeless thoughts. I can now see the beauty of facing a repeat trial. I can apply what I learned the first time around and combine that with what the Lord has revealed in his word.
Just as Jesus did, I can open my mouth and proclaim the promises of God over my life. I even have reinforcements: friends and family who pray and speak the truth over me!
One girlfriend encouraged me by saying, “Honey, you are no longer hidden. You are the light. No darkness is willing to approach the light in fear of being exposed. Only someone who is also walking in light can approach.”
Yes. Just yes.
The same goes for you.
You are not hidden. God loves to show you off. You radiate love and joy from the Father. Your shine radiates from the inside out. You exude confidence, strength and wisdom. Not just any person can muster up the courage to come your way. Nor, do you want them to. This world has enough complications and challenges, who needs to add a not-right-for-me relationship into the picture?
If you are feeling hidden or embarking on another dating dry spell, know that this is working for your good. It may not seem like it, but God is protecting you from the darkness that will try to come your way. You are not weird, you are not alone and your beauty is not in question. You are set apart for a reason. He loves you too much to send random people your way just to prevent a dating dry-spell. Those people can’t fill the space only He is meant to fill in your life. This season is bigger than you. God takes us through certain situations, not just to help teach a lesson but for us to help those who come after us. We can encourage and pass down wisdom to others.
Are you facing a repeat trial? Do you feel like you are going around the same old mountain again? That’s okay! Joshua and the people of Israel marched around the walls of Jericho seven times before they claimed their victory.
Do the same. March around your mountain, proclaim God’s promises over your life and know that this season is all a part of his wondrous plan for your life. God loves you and has amazing things in store for you.
Be encouraged.
