The Most Amazing Love Ever

I slipped on my new dress and checked my hair in the mirror one last time before grabbing my keys and heading to the car. I was tempted to text my mom and say, "Guess who has a hot date for valentine's day tonight?", but I decided that might get her unnecessarily excited. The truth is, I did have a date, just not the typical type. Instead of moping around on "singles awareness day", me and a fellow single friend of mine had a girls' night out. 

                              

We dressed up and went to a lantern festival - complete with live music, entertainment, food, light displays, and campfires. It was quite romantic for some, but for us it was just plain fun. We didn't have to worry about impressing any boys, so I played in the campfire and sang along to the Jamaican band while Melanie ate chicken legs like a boss. 

                              

We celebrated our friendship, and we celebrated love - God's love as a banner over us as single women. This wasn't a feminist, I-don't-need-or-want-a-man kind of fling, but a simple way of celebrating the only romance that we have in our lives at this time.

You know, I think Jesus is the most romantic person I've ever met and probably ever will meet. His pursuit of our hearts and his endless, unconditional, perfect love for us is beyond anything a human person could ever create or muster up. The love story he wrote for us - choosing us before the creation of the world, sending his son to die for us while we were still so far away from loving him back,  showering us with his grace, and calling us by name to belong to him forever - you can't write a love story any more dramatic, captivating, and life-changing than that. 

Sorry to my future husband, but you'll never be first in my heart. And I never want to be first in yours, either. 

The Lord was sweet to me this valentine's day by bringing to my attention some passages of scripture that I desperately needed to remember. I don't want to pretend like I don't struggle with my singleness because honestly, sometimes I do. Like every other girl raised in this world of fairy tales and happily-ever-afters, I dream of being swept off my feet, falling in love, and living a life of adventure with a man who leads and strengthens me. But then Jesus reminds me that He has done exactly that for me. And when the time is right, he may bring a man into the picture, too. 

So when I opened my Bible this valentine's day, I actually started reading about marriage and divorce. Great, just what I need as a single on valentines day. Yet in the scriptures I found great truths even about singleness. 

"What God has joined together, let man not separate." We usually focus on the man not separating part, but my eyes stuck on the first half of the verse. We emphasize that man should not separate a marriage, but we forget to let God create and unite our marriages in the first place. In other words, I don't want to rush my marriage. God is writing my love story, and I want him to join everything together in his perfect timing. What great valentines day news! 

Then in 1 Corinthians 7, a whole chapter dedicated to marriage, we read that it is not a sin to either be married or single. (Thank goodness or I would be in trouble!) Our culture puts a lot of pressure on young people to get married, settle down, and start a family. But Paul wrote in 1 Corinthians 7 that it is best to "remain as you are". That means it's not right to get married; it's right to be content in Christ. 

Paul also says reminds both married and single people that we need to be most concerned with the things of God, which he says tends to be a little easier for single people. Our undivided attention and devotion is first and foremost for the Lord. So to the singles, don't let your singleness distract you from being wholeheartedly devoted to Jesus. And the the married ones, don't let your marriage distract you from wholehearted devotion to Jesus, too. 

To the singles, don't wrap yourselves up in being single. To the married, don't wrap yourselves up in your marriage. Let's all wrap ourselves up in Christ. 

This isn't one of those "power to the singles" messages, nor is it one of those Facebook post blogs about "10 reasons you should be happy as a single" or "10 things to do as a single in your 20s". It's just a simple reminder from my heart to yours that Jesus is the best lover in he entire universe, and all of our love relationships here on earth are designed to reflect his most beautiful love for us. 

Happy valentines say to singles, datings, and marrieds alike. May God join together our marriages, and May men never ever separate them. May we get caught up in Jesus instead of our relationship statuses, and may we ultimately find our greatest satisfaction and pleasure in him above all else.