by Morgan Fisher
Oh, how every woman desires a relationship like Rachel McAdams and Ryan Gosling in “The Notebook”, a film I managed to avoid watching until my second year of college. After my roommates found out I had kept away from this enchanting love story for 19 whole years, we found ourselves, on a Friday night, with a crowd of college girls surrounding the television screen, falling in love with one of films utmost love stories.
“So flee youthful passions and pursue righteousness, faith, love, and peace, along with those who call on the Lord from a pure heart.” —2 Timothy 2:22
As I began following this love story, my eyes began believing in what media has defined as love. I slowly took a step back and thought of a close friend of mine who recently got married, a genuine love story. I desired so deeply to share my friends love story with the girls surrounded by this television screen. I was beginning to decipher the difference between the love that media has conditioned us to believe in and honest, sacrificial love that people pursue under God’s commands.
“Love is patient and kind; love does not envy or boast; it is not arrogant or rude. It does not insist on its own way; it is not irritable or resentful; it does not rejoice at wrongdoing, but rejoices with the truth. Love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, and endures all things.” —1 Corinthians 13:4-7 ESV
I met Jamie and James about a year ago working in youth ministry. Jamie has a smile with the power to take all of your worries away. Her heartening, inspiring, joyful personality compliments the beam of light that she is to this world. She is a crafty woman that humbly uses her gifts for the Lord. James is an absolute genius when it comes to technology and design. I think he’s probably just behind Jesus on the list of greatest carpenters, as well. Together, they could take on any challenge given to them through the youth ministry creative team and honestly, I think they could take on some of the world’s greatest superheroes as well. Watching them work together is absolutely inspirational. If you have every doubted God’s ability to hand pick two people for each other, your doubts will be demolished when you meet this pair. The most astonishing component of this story is that Jamie and James met at church when they were just 13 years old.
“Do not be unequally yoked with unbelievers. For what partnership has righteousness with lawlessness? Or what fellowship has light with darkness?” —2 Corinthians 6:14
Though Jamie and James were not in a relationship with each other at the age of 13, they were in a much more significant relationship. Each of them had a desire to grow in a relationship with God at a young age. Years of youth group together passed, they continued to grow in their faith and pursue their college education, and met again at a bon fire over summer break in their college years. When they began dating, they also began making sacrifices including years of being in a very long distance relationship. The beauty of their relationship is that they were able to grow separately, but not apart. Through any trials or tribulations, they continued to look to God for answers and never considered breaking up. Coming to the realization that God may place your future husband or wife in your life at this moment, does not mean that He has intended for you to begin a relationship with your significant other.
The right thing at the wrong time is still the wrong thing.
Growing in your individual relationship with God and praying that your future husband is pursuing a pure lifestyle and faithfully following God’s commands, will not only lead you to a love story like Jamie and James, but the love story that God wrote for your life.
My challenge to you is to pray for your future spouse and ask God to draw you closer to Him in times of loneliness, lustful temptations, and simply day by day in a healthy pursuit to a love story written by the Lord.
