Living Out Happily Ever After
This week I've been reading about God's desire to restore our virtue and dignity...to turn our ashes into beauty. When Beth Moore described the four dreams that most little girls dream of, she really hit close to home. For most women, those dreams are to be a bride, be beautiful, be fruitful, and live happily ever after.
I am most certainly not trying to ruffle any feathers, so if any or all of those four things are not your dreams, that is fine!! You have another purpose. To quote Beth directly, "...if a woman's heart belongs entirely to God and she does not long to be married or long to have children, she is probably called to singleness or childlessness in order to pursue other purposes for God."
I, however, fall under the "Big Four" dream category. When I look back on my life and see where God's hand moved in the most powerful ways and the things I am most grateful for, it was during the seasons of my life related to feeling beautiful, praying for a husband, and longing to be a mother.
If I had read this chapter of Breaking Free eight years ago when I felt disgusting and unlovable, seven years ago when I wondered if I would ever find a mate, or one year ago when my arms ached for a baby, I would have ended up in a puddle of tears. During those times, I put my trust in God and found my worth in Jesus. It gave me joy in knowing that He had my back, but the patience was a struggle! I had joy, but not always happiness in my circumstances.
But what gave me hope was knowing the truth in Psalm 37:4: Delight yourself in the Lord, and He will give you the desires of your heart.
Beth writes, " I don't believe God allows surrendered hearts to continue to long for things He will not ultimately grant in one way or another. Our disappointment with God is often the result of our small thinking."
I couldn't have said it better!! What I loved reading this week was that if you have those big God-sized dreams like I did, and you are living your life fully surrendered to Jesus Christ, those dreams are there for a purpose! Those desires are God-breathed.
It is so awesome (and faith-building) to see firsthand how God has fulfilled my dreams with His reality.
Now we're working on dream four: to live happily ever after.
For this season of my life, this applies to the necessary financial and social sacrifices needed in order to stay home with my son. God is asking me to follow Him to land uncharted for Herb and I, but I can't wait to see what lessons and deeper relationships He has for us there.
I am most certainly not trying to ruffle any feathers, so if any or all of those four things are not your dreams, that is fine!! You have another purpose. To quote Beth directly, "...if a woman's heart belongs entirely to God and she does not long to be married or long to have children, she is probably called to singleness or childlessness in order to pursue other purposes for God."
I, however, fall under the "Big Four" dream category. When I look back on my life and see where God's hand moved in the most powerful ways and the things I am most grateful for, it was during the seasons of my life related to feeling beautiful, praying for a husband, and longing to be a mother.
If I had read this chapter of Breaking Free eight years ago when I felt disgusting and unlovable, seven years ago when I wondered if I would ever find a mate, or one year ago when my arms ached for a baby, I would have ended up in a puddle of tears. During those times, I put my trust in God and found my worth in Jesus. It gave me joy in knowing that He had my back, but the patience was a struggle! I had joy, but not always happiness in my circumstances.
But what gave me hope was knowing the truth in Psalm 37:4: Delight yourself in the Lord, and He will give you the desires of your heart.
Beth writes, " I don't believe God allows surrendered hearts to continue to long for things He will not ultimately grant in one way or another. Our disappointment with God is often the result of our small thinking."
I couldn't have said it better!! What I loved reading this week was that if you have those big God-sized dreams like I did, and you are living your life fully surrendered to Jesus Christ, those dreams are there for a purpose! Those desires are God-breathed.
It is so awesome (and faith-building) to see firsthand how God has fulfilled my dreams with His reality.
Now we're working on dream four: to live happily ever after.
For this season of my life, this applies to the necessary financial and social sacrifices needed in order to stay home with my son. God is asking me to follow Him to land uncharted for Herb and I, but I can't wait to see what lessons and deeper relationships He has for us there.
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