Let me take you back to a time in my life when I knew I loved God and followed Christ and thought I was being the best Christian I could be. This was in my early 20's oh so many years ago (or at least it seems that way).
Imagine being a single Mom of two precious baby boys. You've been Christian for what seems like most of your life; you've read the Bible on your own since you were 5. You knew nothing other than Catholicism, but since your family didn't go to church when you were younger come middle school you ask your Mom to let you go to CCD classes. Your faith continues to grow, but the understanding behind proper decision making and God's will to follow His ways are lacking. You're a volunteer and have been since elementary school, and you grow up going to college thinking the fact that you're no longer a virgin isn't a big deal. You're a good person, loving, kind, and Christian. You realize one day in mass that you don't read straight from the Bible and this curiosity leads you to realize that Catholicism has made your walk with God stagnant. Year after year we read the same passages and go over the same ole, same ole. You explore more using your Bible as the tool God meant it to be.
Woo hoo! You're relationship with the Father is blossoming once again. But, over time you're still not quite following His way. The understanding wasn't there. Besides you're not a virgin anyway, so how does having sex in a relationship before marriage actually harm anything (other than the possibility of pregnancy or STDs of course)? Well, it's as simple as heartache.
Let's bring things back to being a single Mom of two. The short marriage I had was a complete lie. I trusted a man who pretended to be Christian (he was raised in a Christian family, and they are amazing people), but he is not a man of God. Fortunately, I was blessed to learn this all early on and after working on the marriage for some time (me being the only one who actually did because he was still lying and cheating), the Lord told me we weren't meant to be together. Divorce came and went and I'm on my own which I pretty much was during the marriage anyhow. I'm shattered and desperately wonder... why?
I date some while the boys are young and nothing worked out. We've been going to a non-denominational Christian church and I've continued my walk with the Lord this entire time. What am I doing wrong? Why am I alone? Why can't I find a Godly wonderful man to be my husband?
One day a few years later, after having moved out of state for a few years and moved back, I ran into a high school friend and his wife and children. They invited me to their church (also a non-demoninational Christian church). Shout out to Pat and Tawny! I went simply to appease them and be polite, but God had something else planned. I fell in love. No not with a man, but with the men and women that made up this amazing congregation. I felt at home, I felt peace, I felt love, I felt God.
I continued going to this new church and of course, working on my relationship with our Father. I began noticing the married couples in the church and how incredibly wonderful the husbands were to their wives and vice versa. I wanted that! I used to think I had to settle because the man I wanted didn't exist. I'm too picky. Blah, blah, blah and many other of Satan's lies that destroy us women.
A year passes and still I'm alone. I'm still seeking the opportunity to date, but not settling either. One day I read Ephesians 5:25 and it hit me... the reason all these men are so wonderful to their wives is because they are Godly men and they are living their lives God's way. I knew I had to have this and realized the only way I could is if I too prepare myself for my Godly husband and live my life God's way too. No dating for the sake of dating, and definitely no intimacy before marriage.
A few month's later (and after years of being alone), I met my bestest friend. No, I don't mean best friend; I mean bestest friend, my husband. He is such an amazing person that the title best friend just doesn't cut it. He hadn't been on his walk with the Lord too long, in fact it turned out some of my Facebook posts are what helped him to begin changing his life, feeding his soul, etc.
Had I not realized what God has for me in a husband because of Ephesians 5:25, I don't know how much more heartache I'd have endured these past 7+ years. I have a younger sister who is a non-believer and she is suffering through yet another heartache right now. My heart aches for her. I pray that she accepts the holy spirt into her life. I pray that she learns from my mistakes. It's not God's way or the highway; it's God's way or the painful, fleeting way.
I wish I'd known about this verse and teaching at a much younger age so I didn't waste time doing things my way, the wrong way. So I designed this shirt for all the Single Ladies out there to encourage them to prepare themselves as Godly wives, for their upcoming blessing of a Godly husband. Don't settle, Ladies. This Single Lady tee will remind you to keep faith that God is preparing your husband right now, and it'll help you teach other young and young-at-heart women what they should want for their lives too.
May the Lord be with each and every one of you today and shower you with blessings. May He continue preparing you for your new married life in Christ. In Jesus' name we pray. Amen.