I know this is right. At first I thought this was crazy just like I expect you to, but from the moment I looked down at my hand tonight while pondering this crazy thought and saw that my ring was facing me saying "trust" I just knew it was right. I knew before I left for the beach to take my sunset walk tonight I would be convinced by the time I got back. I just know this is right.
So what is this crazy though you ask? I am not going to date, at all, until my next birthday. Wait. What did I just say? Yep, that's right. No dating. And yes, I understand that it's possible the opportunity may not even come up in the next year, but it's more than just dating. And why my birthday? It just seemed like a good day to pick. Just shy of a year away.
So why am I doing this? While reading my devotional the other night I read about a 15 year old girl who decided she wasn't going to date. She was doing this because she wanted to be devoted to God. Like 1 Corinthians 7:34 says: "A woman who is not married or a girl who has never married is busy with the Lord's work. She wants to be holy in body and spirit." I want that.
While lately I have been doing much better on the whole waiting-for-a-boy-instead-of-looking-for-one, I still need more. Just 4 days ago I can be quoted as saying "Sometimes I am so desperate it's sad." I said that because it is incredibly true. I think the only way I'll get anywhere closer to where I want to be is if I do this.
What will this entail? Well, I've been thinking about some rules/guidelines. They go a little something like this.
1. No dating. This means:
a) No intimate one-on-one time with a guy (unless he is married, WAY older, etc. etc.)
b) No physical contact with a guy (I am a bit of a hugger so those friendlys "I've missed you" or "I'm so excited to see you" hugs don't count. You know.)
c) Nothing romantic. At all.
2. No daydreaming/pursuing/scouring for a guy to like. Basically, no being interested in guys. This will probably be the absolute hardest part of it all but I'm not going to learn anything if I spend all my time dreaming about dating boys instead of dating them.
Let the record show that I am allowed to be friends with guys and make new guy friends, we just cannot be romantically involved.
I really think all of this will free some space in my brain for other things that are more important right now. I want to become closer to God in this difficult, yet cool way. I want to figure out what I should be doing with my life. In 10 months I will be finished the post-secondary program I am currently in and I would love to know where to go next.
So tonight I pledge my 100% earthly singleness. It's going to be tough, but I know I can do it with help from the Big Guy Upstairs. (Pray for me :D )
Song of the Moment: Let My Words Be Few by Phillips, Craig and Dean (Jesus I am so in love with you)
Don't let anyone look down on you because you are young but set an example for the believers in speech, in life, in love, in faith and in purity.
1 Timothy 4:12
