Red Lip Society

I remember when I was around 16, this boy came to pick me up to take me to a movie.  My dad, who had been outside when the guy came to pick me up, later said to me, “I can’t believe my daughter went out with a boy that keeps his truck that nasty.  If he doesn’t take care of his stuff, he won’t take care of you.”

My senior year, a different boy came to take me on a date.  He had been muddin’ earlier that day. (#southerngirlprobs) That didn’t bother me.  What did bother me was, that when he opened my door, the inside was not only caked with Mississippi mud, but it was also filled with trash.  Let’s just say I didn’t go on that date.

Another boy came to pick me up for the fair one day.  In true teenage girl fashion, I had taken three hours to get ready. (It’s amazing that I can now be ready to walk out the door to go just about anywhere in 15 minutes.)  He showed up in dirty, ripped jeans, flip-flops, and was wearing a t-shirt he had cut the sleeves and neck out of….and it had a big tear in it.  I stood there for a second before asking, “Is that what you are wearing?” My mother immediately excused herself from the room before he could answer.  Long story short…..we broke up that day.

As you can imagine, I didn’t date much as a teenager.  Actually, now that I am thinking about it, I didn’t date that much period.

Now, I know what you are thinking.  “This woman is high maintenance.  God help the man that got stuck with her!”  For the record, my husband says I am the most low-maintenance woman he has ever met.  Actually, we probably wouldn’t be married if I was that way.

My parents raised me to take care of my belongings and to carry myself well. My dad would bum a bit around the house, but when it was time to go somewhere, he was always immaculately kept.  His vehicles were always spotless.  I always felt he was a standard to aspire to.

However, somewhere along the way, something happened….

Somewhere along the way, loneliness set in and I lowered my standards.

I lowered my standards and wound up shacked up with someone that cheated on me and manipulated me and emotionally abused me.  But that is not what this post is about…..

This post is about my awesome husband and how I let God pick him!

After I dedicated my life to God, I was sure of one thing: God was going to send me a man or I wasn’t going to have one.  I sure wasn’t going to try picking another one on my own.  What little dating I did as an adult told me that something was wrong with my picker!

So, when loneliness raised it’s ugly head this time, I sat in my closet with my Bible, pen, and notepad.  I prayed about it.  I told God that if he wanted me to marry that He would have to send me that person.  Then I made two lists: things I wanted in my spouse and things I didn’t.  I believe God likes it when we are specific with our prayers.

Every day during my prayer time, I would pray over those lists.  I would put my hands on both of them and say, “God, here it is.  This is what I want.  But your will be done.”

For seven months I prayed over those lists.  I didn’t date anyone during this time.  I wasn’t even interested really.

Then, one night at church, I met this man with pretty blue eyes.  We went out on a date about a month later and guess what?!?!  We couldn’t stand each other.

That’s right.  Nothing.  Nada.  No chemistry at all.  I believe my exact words were, “I’m sure he is somebody’s Prince Charming, but he is not mine.”

Three months later, at church, he and I were standing in the same group of people and he looked over at me and smiled at something I had said.  I noticed again how pretty and blue his eyes were, but I also noticed that they sparkled with this boyish mischief….and all of a sudden I was completely smitten with those eyes and that smile.

Later that evening, I couldn’t stop thinking about those eyes.  I started texting him.  I knew that if I talked to him long enough that he would ask me out again.

And he did.  We went out two days later.

Nine days later he asked me to be his wife….and I said, “Yes!”  Second best decision ever!!!  (First best would be deciding to live for Jesus.)

Two and a half months later, we were married.

We have been married for six years and I still blush when those blue eyes twinkle at me.

And this is the confidence that we have toward him, that if we ask anything according to his will he hears us. 1 John 5:14

Like I said earlier, I think God wants you to pray specifically.  When I started praying for God to take over that part of my life, I had a list of about 40 things I prayed over.  However, it is only the top three things on that list that truly mattered and I want to share those things with you.

3 Things I Prayed For In A Husband

#1 He must love God. 

I knew that if there was ever going to be another man in my life, God was going to be his number one.  He was going to be a man that prayed. He was going to be a man that read his Bible every day.  He was going to be a man that sought after God, or he wasn’t going to be my man.  And that’s just all there was to it.

You will seek me and find me, when you seek me with all your heart.  Jeremiah 29:13

I wasn’t looking for someone perfect, but he was going to be in relationship with God.  Please notice that I did not say, “He goes to church.”  Going to church does not mean that anyone has a relationship with God.  It means they go to church.

Husbands, love your wives, as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her. Ephesians 5:25

#2 He must serve at church. 

As each has received a gift, use it to serve one another, as good stewards of God’s varied grace. 1 Peter 4:10

The very night I stepped inside my now church home was the night that I dedicated my life to God and said I would not just follow, but serve Him all the days of my life.  As soon as I could I got plugged into a small group and joined a ministry so I could serve.  The church was becoming a bigger and bigger part of my life and I wanted serving the Church body as well as the Church building to be high on his priority list as well.

#3 He must like to laugh. 

A joyful heart is good medicine, but a crushed spirit dries up the bones. Proverbs 17:22

I’m the person that might laugh at inappropriate times.  It’s how I deal with things.  Hard times will come in life, so I knew whoever I ended up with would have to be someone that was going to laugh through the craziness of life with me.

My life’s motto is, “With God and laughter, I can get through anything.”

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I want you to know ladies, that God answered all three of these things and more.  I know my husband spends time with the Lord every day.  He goes to Him in prayer and the Bible for making the smallest of decisions.  He prays for us.  He prays for my dreams.

He serves our church with a joyful heart every weekend.  If he hears of something coming up, he will ask me, “Do they need me to come help with that?”  He supports my service at church as well.

Oh boy, do we laugh!  That man has laughed with me in my joy and in my anger.  He has laughed with me during my sadness and in the middle of my fears.

I am so thankful that I let God be in charge of my love life.  No doubt that the One that made everything that I see and feel knew more about what I wanted and needed more than I ever did.

Yep!  Definitely the second best decision ever.

Thank you for reading our love story.  I would love to hear about yours!