Monday, July 21, 2008

You Can't Hurry Love

Well, hello. It's been a couple weeks, and I apologize for my absence. I promise I wasn't giving the silent treatment, I've just been slightly busy. You see...

I GOT ENGAGED! Very exciting times in my life right now, just very consuming also because we are planning and executing a large scale, yet on-a-budget, wedding in under 4 months time. YIKES! Are we crazy, you ask? Hmmm...probably a little. :)

Anyway, during the rush of activity over the days, and now weeks, since Aron Carpenter (that's his name) popped the question, I've realized there are some things you can hurry. Like for instance, you can microwave your dinner, you can take a short cut to the store, you can hop in a bulbed bed or go for a spray if you want a quick tan, and if you have decent connections, flexible expectations, and a bevy of generous and capable friends, you can even hurry a wedding. BUT, and this is very important, so make sure you grasp it, there are some things you absolutely can not hurry. And, as the old song goes--YOU CAN'T HURRY LOVE...or MARRIAGE, for that matter. At least not the kind God has really ordained, and will really bless.

I am 29 years old, and I have been in love before--at least to one degree. But, not the kind of love to build a marriage on, love to serve as the foundation for a lifetime. Had I hurried to the altar then, I guarantee it would have been very far less than God's best. Though painful, I am so grateful I chose (and in some ways, was forced) to wait on God's man, God's timing for my life.

There may be some of you out there right now feeling very lonely, and wishing desperately to be in a relationship, in a marriage. You desire this so much that you may just jump into something, anything that offered that future to you. I just want to encourage you to wait on the Lord. Be confident in His attention to you, His provision of you, His plan to fulfill the desires of your heart as you walk closely with Him. The Bible tells us that God is conscious of even the smallest of sparrows--so how certain can we be that He is very aware of us?!

Let me encourage you with this...Both my fiance and I waited on God, in a variety of ways, to bring us His best for our lives. It was not easy on many, many days...and there were periods when each of us faltered, choosing to pursue relationships of our own design, rather than His. But, ultimately, both Aron and I laid our hopes and dreams for a love and a life-partner at the feet of the Lord, and He has proved Himself faithful. He has so thoroughly come through for us that it is hard to explain it all in words and this limited space. God was preparing us for one another over all this time...as a matter of fact, just recently we found out a piece of history that tells me God's plan for Aron and I is 30+ years in the making--but, I'll save that for another blog. :)

I know God is preparing great things for you too! Be patient, let Him work, let Him piece everything together in just the right way to meet your wants and your needs. He'll do it...just you wait and see!

"Be confident of this, He who began a good work in you will be faithful to complete it." Philippians 1:6

2 comments:

Brenda Mason Young said...

That makes me very happy!

C Shultz said...

Rachel, congratulations!! Not only am I happy for you, but I am so proud of you. Thank you for being the role model I can point my daughter to. Wedding plans can be chaotic...breathe and have fun. God created the world in seven days,and with HIS help, you can create a beautiful wedding in 100+ days.
(carrie)