{Love} So You Want to Be in Love?

Written By: Joceline Sweeney

I was amongst the last of my friends to embark on a dating relationship, and I was only 17 ½ years old when I met my husband to be.  Mind you I was one of the youngest in our group, but it felt like everyone was dating and I was still waiting!!  Instead of sulking and being jealous, I began to notice their relationships.

I began to watch their interactions, my likes and dislikes of the way they spoke to each other.  I watched how they treated each other, such as if he opened the doors for her and if she was thankful for his thoughtfulness.  I paid attention to how they worshipped together in church, did they really listen during the service or were they too involved with each other.  This was in no way to be critical of their relationship, all I knew was someday soon I would be in one when the Lord sent someone special my way, and I wanted to be ready.  I wanted to learn as much as I could before my day came.  I really began to see what I wanted from a friendship that could turn into something more.  It was in these years that I formulated what I wanted my future relationship to look like.

I began to pray for my future boyfriend, whomever he would be.  I knew that I didn’t want to date many people so I asked the Lord to keep me and protect me.

I purposed that right from the start I would never hide anything from my parents as I wanted my relationship to be one that was cause for rejoicing, not secrets.

I had realized that I didn’t like long distance relationships, but even as much as I didn’t care for one, the Lord knew how precious a time that would be for me!  That’s how my friendship began with the man I would someday marry.  It was a beautiful time of really getting to know each other as we talked for hours upon hours on the phone (after seven o’clock because that’s when it was a cheaper calling time!)  Some of our sweetest moments were experienced on the handset of my then corded telephone.  Oh and the letters, I loved when I received an envelope in the mail with his return address on it!  It was a very happy day indeed.

So as you see not every idea I had formulated in my mind turned out exactly as I “wanted” but they did in fact turn out just as God had planned.  When it was my turn, I felt ready.

So you want to be in love?  Don’t “waste” your time waiting… watch, listen, learn and pray!

Until Next Time,

~Joceline