Saturday, February 7, 2015

My Valentine's Day Date with the King

   

Deep breath. I’m in my mid-twenties, I’m single, and I'm going on TWO dates this Valentine’s Day.


You read that right. 

One date is with my sister. We’ve developed a Valentine's Day tradition that as long as we’re single, we’ll do Valentine’s Day together. This year on 14 February (I love saying dates UK style), We’re going to see the new Christian film Old Fashioned, a fresh, sweet, sigh-worthy love story that’s about respecting women and adoring them instead of exploiting and abusing them. *cough* Unlike another movie coming out that weekend. *cough*

My other date is scheduled for the morning of Feb. 14. I’m going to a local coffee shop. My date won’t be meeting me at the coffee shop. He’ll actually be riding with me from my house. We’ve been together since I was eight.

The best thing about our relationship is that He knows everything about me and loves me anyway—me, an overachieving country girl/piano teacher/Christian romance writer/movie junkie/fashionista wannabe.

He’s written me the longest love letter ever recorded, each word true and an out-breathing of His love. He’s perfect. He has never, and will never, let me down. He has held me during the hardest times in my life. There is no one on earth who knows me like He does. He calls me His beloved and chosen.



Am I gushing? Sorry. I’m just so very blessed to have Him. Everyone loves Him and admires Him. People even write songs about Him and everything. Oh, did I mention He’s rich? You could say He’s the CEO of the biggest social network in the world—and it’s FREE. Well, free to everyone else. He actually paid for it at an exorbitant price—I’m rambling aren’t I?

My Date isn’t Mark Zuckerberg. Not by a long shot. I’m going on a date with God.

What? You don’t think God can be romantic? Check out these verses:

Hosea 2:14-15 & 19-20 

     "Therefore, behold, I will allure her, and bring her into the wilderness, and speak comfortably unto her. 

     And I will give her her vineyards from thence, and the valley of Achor for a door of hope: and she shall sing there, as in the days of her youth, and as in the day when she came up out of the land of Egypt. 

     And I will betroth thee unto me for ever; yea, I will betroth thee unto me in righteousness, and in judgment, and in lovingkindness, and in mercies.  

     I will even betroth thee unto me in faithfulness: and thou shalt know the LORD."

Might want to close your mouth before something flies in it. ;)

Yes, I’m going on a date with THAT God. The One and Only, who happens to be my One and Only right now. :)

You’d like to know more?

This is how it’s going down. I’ll take my Bible, my journal, Beverly Seward Brandon’s Bible study sheet on the husbandly attributes of God (I’ll be sharing below), and a book bag filled with:

  • Come Away, My Beloved by Francis J Roberts,
  • Tortured for Christ by Richard Wurmbrand,
  • A Woman After God’s Own Heart by Elizabeth George,
  • Lady In Waiting by Jackie Kendall and Debbie Jones
  • Morning and Evening by Charles Haddon Spurgeon, and possibly
  • Girl Talk with God by Susie Shellenberger. 

I’m hoping the coffee shop will have some type of red velvet hot cocoa or something Valentine-y to go along with the occasion.

I’ll wade through the other shmoozy couples to find a cozy corner table, then thank the Lord for our time together, read for a while, pray for a while, and journal for a while, hoping my dreamy smiles and giggles don’t prompt the owners to press charges for public intoxication.

I had initially planned to have this date at home, but being as it’s Saturday and my family will be home, my suave romantic mood might be interrupted by the Daniel Boone theme song or music from the weather channel. Also, I’ve been known to exhibit inordinate social cowardice on Valentine’s Day—like hiding at home in my PJs browsing Pinterest just so I don’t have to see those couples holding hands and kissing in public—only venturing out for my sister date.

This time, though, I feel God wants me in public for a testimony that He is enough to satisfy the longings of every soul. Probably no one will ask (usually people keep to themselves in our mid-sized town), but if they do, I’ll tell them about my date and use it as an opportunity to tell them about my Date. Hehe. See what I did there?
 
As a single woman, Beverly Seward Brandon asked herself, "Why do I want to get married?" Then wrote this Bible study when she discovered how God can meet those needs:

Longing: I want to be loved.
Bible: "I have loved you with an everlasting love." Jeremiah 31:3

Longing: I want someone to adore me.
Bible: The King has brought me into his chambers to adore me. (Song 1:4)

Longing: I want someone to hold my hand.
Bible: “I will uphold you with My righteous right hand.” (Is. 41:10)

Longing: I want to be accepted and valued.
Bible: I am accepted in the Beloved (Eph. 1:6)

Longing: I want a place, a nesting place that is my own to create and use.
Bible: I can rest in the shadow of the Almighty. (Ps. 91:1)

Longing: I want help in my days of trouble.
Bible: “Call upon Me in the day of trouble; I shall rescue you…” (Ps. 50:15)

Longing: I want to share my life – the joys and the struggles – with one person.
Bible: God will share with me the treasures of darkness and hidden riches. (Is. 45:3)

Longing: I want a champion of my causes – one who is willing to fight for me.
Bible: The Lord will fight for you. (Ex. 14:14)

Longing: I want someone to meet my needs.
Bible: God is meeting all my needs. (Phil. 4:19)

Longing: I want intimacy.
Bible: The Lord is intimate with the upright. (Ps. 140:13)

Longing: I want someone to help me in my life.
Bible: There is no one like God who rides the heavens to help you. (Deut. 33:26)

Longing: I want to walk through life sustained and carried. I don’t want the whole load of life.
Bible: Even to my old age, God will sustain me, carry me, and rescue me. (Is. 46:4)

Longing: I want a companion for this life.
Bible: God invites us to humbly walk with Him. (Mic. 6:8)

Longing: I desire children.
Bible: God gives us spiritual children like the numberless grains of sand if we invest in lives. (Is. 48:19)

This study was also published in Lady in Waiting by Jackie Kendall and Debbie Jones. BTW, Lady In Waiting is a FABULOUS book for single ladies, and they have a guy version, too! It's called The Right Guy for the Right Girl.


This Valentine’s Day, I’m throwing down the gauntlet. I challenge every single person to dump your PJs and Valentine’s Day self-pity. Grab your Bible and favorite devotional. Head somewhere romantic and get to know your Creator. Let Him be the Lover of your soul. Who’s with me? #mydatewiththeKing 

Do you have a fun idea for your own date with the King? Share in the comments! Would love to hear new ideas!

12 comments:

  1. Love this, Brave girl Natalie!

    What a sweet way for a single lady to look at Valentine's Day. I think I need to adopt this way of thinking as I'm a single lady for now too..

    Keep up the wonderful work! :)

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  2. Beautiful, Natalie. I'm an old married woman and I loved your heart for God and the romantic date the two of your are going on. :)

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  3. That is an amazing idea! a sweet treat and a Bible devotion sounds like a perfect Valentine's Day
    And your sisterly tradition sounds super fun.
    Even though I'm engaged, Valentine's isn't a big deal to me. As long as I have candy, I'm good. :)

    Great idea for a post, Natalie. You're sure to encourage so many women with this!!!

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  4. Natalie, you inspire me and I will pick up your challenge and make "single awareness day" something special. :)

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  5. Wonderful post Natalie. I feel so blessed to be loved by God.

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  6. Hey Natalie,

    I love that you mentioned the book Girl Talk with God by Susie Shellenberger. I loved that book when I was a teenager! What's funny is that I just found that book in my library, and I was going to pass it along to a friend of mine. A young teenager who I thought would love it just as much as I had. :) I remember reading Shellenberger's columns in Brio. Did you ever get that magazine?

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  7. Thank you so much, Alexis! Glad you enjoyed it!

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  8. Thanks, Cuz!!! :) I'm pretty excited about it myself. :)

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  9. Thank you, Courtney! I hope so! :)

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  10. Nancy! YAY!!! I have a fellow #mydatewiththeKing challenger!!! :)

    I just found out the coffee shop I'm going to has a blueberry pie latte. O.M.Goodness. Also, they have a raspberry/chocolate drink called Be My Valentine, but I'm not big on raspberry and chocolate, so I think I'm going to go for their "single lady" latte--as the girl described it to me--banana, cinnamon, caramel, and coconut. Mmmmm!

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  11. Anonymous. Thanks for stopping by! Isn't God amazing! He's so holy and powerful, but still He loves us!

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  12. Hi, englishmysteriesblog! *waves*
    I LOVED the Brio magazines! That's where I first heard of Susie's book. So cool you recently found it again! It made a big impression on me in my teenage stage of only praying over my food or when I had an emergency. :)

    I still have three years' worth of BrioMag in the bottom of a trunk in my room. :) I always wanted to be the next Brio Girl! Haha! So fun to find another fan of those magazines.

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