I went out last night on the first date I’ve had since I divorced in July of 2011. If you’ve been reading my blogs, you know I mentioned the man who owns an auto repair shop, and caught my attention a few months ago. As God played matchmaker with circumstances that found me in his auto repair shop 3 times in 3 months, we became friends. (What he doesn’t know is that from the moment I first saw him, I was smitten.)
Last Monday, to my complete and utter surprise, the doorbell rang, and my daughter and I went to the door, and found a woman from a florist standing there with a gorgeous bouquet of flowers for me. I stared at them, thinking surely the woman must have the wrong address, but she insisted they were for me. With shaking hands, I took them and brought them into the house as my daughter excitedly buzzed around me, dying to know who they were from. When I saw the card and that they were from him, I was stunned. All I could say was, “Wow.” A few moments later, “Wow.” An hour later, when my daughter was talking to me, I was still in a fog, and I could see her lips moving, but I couldn’t hear a thing.
He asked me to go out on Thursday (last night), and between last Monday and last night, we’ve been texting and calling each other. When he came to my door last night, he had a single red rose in his hand. He opened the door for me to get into the car, and when we arrived at the restaurant, he made it clear he would let me out of the car as well.
It was an amazing first date. He was the consummate gentleman. I felt cherished, protected and respected. I’ve never had a man treat me in quite that way. It gave me a small vision of the love of Christ, and how He cherishes, protects and respects me.
From the moment I met this man, I continually talked to the Lord about him. I couldn’t get him out of my head, no matter how hard I tried. But I didn’t want to plunge forward into a crush on someone Jesus didn’t approve of. So day after day, I would say, “Lord, if this isn’t your will, take the desire for this man out of my heart. I’m really OK with that, because I want what you want. However, if it is your will, please give me my heart’s desire.” I didn’t know if it would happen, and I certainly didn’t expect it to happen so quickly, or with such incredible romance.
I don’t know where this relationship is going. It’s obviously still very preliminary. But it has the hand of God written all over it. Who else but the Great Romantic could conjure up such a beginning?
What I’ve learned through my life is that if I don’t wait on God’s timing and His will, and choose instead to push my own agenda, I risk missing out on His marvelous plan. And His plan far exceeds what I could bring about on my own. He knows how to give great gifts. He knows my DNA–He created me–and therefore He knows how to delight me, and He delights in delighting me. If I acknowledge that, why would I want to run ahead and try to make things happen on my own?
How precious is Thy lovingkindness, O God!
And the children of men take refuge in the shadow of Thy wings.
They drink their fill of the abundance of Thy house;
And thou dost give them to drink of the river of Thy delights. (Psalm 36:7-8)
I want to drink from His river of delights, because nothing else can compare. I want His gifts, His plan, His purpose.
For with Thee is the fountain of life; In Thy light, we see light. (Psalm 36:9)
There’s only one cool, clear, sparkling, life-giving fountain, and it is His. Only one river of true delights. The best gifts come from Him:
Every good thing bestowed and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation, or shifting shadow. (James 1:17)
And these gifts will come, if we commit our way to Him, acknowledge Him in all we do, and wait for Him to set the stage and dim the lights.
