Finding True Love

I feel like every young girl grows up hoping to find true love. With so many romance movies, whether Disney, Romantic Comedy, Action with some Romance, etc, it's no wonder! I was, and am still, no different. I have spent more time than I care to admit hoping to find true love.

I've done it all I feel like. Tried dating classmates, friends, and guys in my residence hall. I have used EHarmony, Plenty of Fish, and yes...even Tindr. Eventually, I started lowering my standards. The cute guy at the bar? Who may only be cute because I'm drunk? Sure! Eventually, sex started leading to relationships instead of the other way around.

I hit a point where I was no longer happy with my relationships. I knew that I couldn't find the love of my life if I kept looking in the same places. But where to try next? Online dating didn't seem to work for me, bar dating CLEARLY didn't work, and I felt like all of peer group was already in long-term relationships.

June 1st, I realized I had to make a change. How could I find the man of my dreams if I kept being distracted by the man of right now. I made a commitment to abstinence, self-improvement, and trying to rebuild my relationship with God. I took to heart the idea that you need to be a person who you would want to date.

Through all this I have realized many things. Being single is HARD! At 25, I look around and the majority of my friends and peer group are married or in long-term partnerships, and some even have kids! It's easy to feel left out of discussions because I just don't get it yet. Also, why is it that every other article on my facebook feed is about dating, finding the right man, how you know who to marry...Is that all anyone thinks about?

I think the biggest lesson I have learned though is this- I have found true love. I have a Father in Heaven who has already given so much to me. He accepts me as I am, challenges me, and helps me grow. I used to hear the following saying and laugh -A woman's heart should be so hidden in God that a man has to seek Him to find her (Max Lucado). It didn't make sense to me. Now, I better understand. Instead of spending my time on dating sites, I should be reading my Bible. Instead of being at the bar looking for potential dates, I should be fostering my Christian friendships. Instead of dates with guys who I KNOW don't meet my standards, I should be serving my community in God's name.

When the time is right, God will bring the right man to me. Until then, I will continue to fall madly in love with God and foster that relationship. It's not always easy, but it makes so much more sense!