This is an interesting week for me.
Six years ago this week, I became engaged to a man who is not my husband. Allow me to explain.
Six years ago, my high school sweetheart proposed to outside of the classroom where we first met. To the 21-year-old version of myself, my life was going according to plan. I would marry my high school sweetheart, graduate from college, move to Washington, D.C., run a string of very successful political campaigns, make a lot of money, move into a beautiful house, pop out a few kids, maybe get a dog.
This was to be my life.
I realize I am stating the obvious but just so you are keeping up, this is not my life.
What I did not know (among many things) was that the Lord was beginning to do things in my life I could not comprehend. I had become a believer on Good Friday of that Spring and had only begun to understand what it meant to be a follower of Christ. In between looking at wedding venues and choosing a color scheme, I was growing closer and closer to the Lord. I joined the college ministry at my church and became deeply involved. The Lord brought many godly people into my life who would later become dear friends. My priority became fellowship with my creator. I spent hours pouring over His word and spending time in prayer. As my knowledge of God grew, so did my affections for Him.
As the months passed, I became increasingly unsettled in my relationship with my future husband. God revealed things to me about our relationship that I had not seen before. He revealed that this man's heart was not where I wanted it to be. That our desires did not match up. I had been so blinded by my own plans for my life that I failed to see any the warning signs the Lord was showing me. After a great deal of prayer and conviction by the Holy Spirit, I broke off the engagement. It was one of the hardest things I have ever done in my life.
From that moment, almost everything about my life changed. I threw up my hands to the Lord and essentially said, "God, do what You will!" I saw that I could not micromanage my life. That God did not care about my plans, He had plans of His own. And how wonderful are His plans! My life is absolutely nothing like I imagined it would be but it is so much better. I am married to a man who loves me well and loves the Lord even more. I have a wonderful family. I have so many precious friendships with godly women. I am able to serve in ministry alongside my husband. I am so thankful for all that the Lord has done in my life.
"Many are the plans in the mind of a man, but it is the purpose of the LORD that will stand."
Proverbs 19:21
Many were my plans but praise God that His purpose prevails.
Six years ago this week, I became engaged to a man who is not my husband. Allow me to explain.
Six years ago, my high school sweetheart proposed to outside of the classroom where we first met. To the 21-year-old version of myself, my life was going according to plan. I would marry my high school sweetheart, graduate from college, move to Washington, D.C., run a string of very successful political campaigns, make a lot of money, move into a beautiful house, pop out a few kids, maybe get a dog.
This was to be my life.
I realize I am stating the obvious but just so you are keeping up, this is not my life.
What I did not know (among many things) was that the Lord was beginning to do things in my life I could not comprehend. I had become a believer on Good Friday of that Spring and had only begun to understand what it meant to be a follower of Christ. In between looking at wedding venues and choosing a color scheme, I was growing closer and closer to the Lord. I joined the college ministry at my church and became deeply involved. The Lord brought many godly people into my life who would later become dear friends. My priority became fellowship with my creator. I spent hours pouring over His word and spending time in prayer. As my knowledge of God grew, so did my affections for Him.
As the months passed, I became increasingly unsettled in my relationship with my future husband. God revealed things to me about our relationship that I had not seen before. He revealed that this man's heart was not where I wanted it to be. That our desires did not match up. I had been so blinded by my own plans for my life that I failed to see any the warning signs the Lord was showing me. After a great deal of prayer and conviction by the Holy Spirit, I broke off the engagement. It was one of the hardest things I have ever done in my life.
From that moment, almost everything about my life changed. I threw up my hands to the Lord and essentially said, "God, do what You will!" I saw that I could not micromanage my life. That God did not care about my plans, He had plans of His own. And how wonderful are His plans! My life is absolutely nothing like I imagined it would be but it is so much better. I am married to a man who loves me well and loves the Lord even more. I have a wonderful family. I have so many precious friendships with godly women. I am able to serve in ministry alongside my husband. I am so thankful for all that the Lord has done in my life.
"Many are the plans in the mind of a man, but it is the purpose of the LORD that will stand."
Proverbs 19:21
Many were my plans but praise God that His purpose prevails.
RSS Feed
