BY WENDY ARROYO
I am currently sipping coffee out of my "I'm engaged, duh" coffee mug looking down at my beautiful engagement ring, teary-eyed, thinking about what a whirl wind it has been the past few years.
Everyone around me has been celebrating my soon to be husband and I as we plan and enjoy this season. It's been full of joy, lots of planning, and new things that have stretched us, but through the change, it has been beautiful.
What they do not know is that just under two years ago at 28 years old, I was living with my parents, wondering what was going wrong in my life. I had left a director position and was working a couple of part-time jobs trying to figure out my next move. I had devoted my life to the Lord faithfully and was committed to building the Kingdom. I worked alongside my parents for several church plants, traveled the world telling people about Jesus, but there I was 28 years old fighting fear of the future and anxiety of the unknown. I was also fighting being upset with God, and if I'm honest, blaming Him.
I don't think I realized it at the time, but in my heart, I couldn't understand why God was blessing everyone else with this gift of marriage, but not me. On New Years that year, I was in flight to visit my hometown and found myself in a puddle of tears at midnight as I re-surrendered my future to Jesus. Alone. In the air.
My now fiancé, JC, walked into my young adults group one night that year and at the time, I didn't give him a second thought. Ten months later, he came back into my life and our story began.
I will save our full love story for another day, but this is the biggest lesson I learned – sometimes the only reason you are where you are in life is simply because it is just not time yet to be anywhere else. That's it! It's not because you sinned or made a bad decision that changed the course of your life. Sometimes, it's just simply that you are still waiting for the promise to come to pass in His perfect timing. Everything else is just not for you. It's just a season of FAITH
Unfortunately, I had to learn the hard way that you cannot force your days to unfold in the timing you want. All you can do is trust in the one who always keeps His promises. And, it's hard.
But, oh how He keeps His promises! All of them!
I still get teary-eyed when I look down at my ring because it is evidence of faith meeting sight. It is evidence of God hearing every word, every time, and loving me through all those moments of fighting for the promise, all the while never knowing God had more than just a spouse for me. He had a place for me in this season. He has truly directed my steps.
Blessed is she who has believed that the Lord would fulfill his promises to her! Luke 1:45
I won't lie and pretend the road ahead looks easy or hasn't been laced with some trials, but it is Him that set me on this road, and it is Him that will walk me through this journey of being a good wife.
I don't know what promise you are holding on to, but I do know that God's promises are worth fighting for. Keep moving forward because I know that one day you too, will reach that moment when faith meets sight.
Let us hold unswervingly to the hope we profess, for he who promised is faithful. Hebrews 10:23