“You are blessed to have so many toys to play with,” I remarked to my niece as we played with her Barbie dolls.

She looked up thoughtfully and said, “I do have a lot, but I don’t have one thing that I really want.”

“What’s that?” I asked expectantly.

I chuckled at her reply as she delivered it with a dramatic sigh,

“RyRy, to love me and take care of me, just like he does for you.”

My response was immediate. “Do you know what I pray every day for my girls?

If God has marriage in your future, I pray that He will bring someone into your life that loves Jesus, just like RyRy.

Because if he loves Jesus first, then he’ll know how to treat you.”

“Do you pray for the boys too?” she asked with a giggle.

Our conversation played in my mind as I drifted to sleep later that evening.  I couldn’t help but be reminded of the days as a young teen, when I, too, desperately wanted someone to cherish me.

At that time, my youth pastor preached a sermon from the book of Hosea.

The vivid account of the prophet sacrificing everything to buy his beloved from slavery, echoed through my awkward eighth-grade heart.

Although I certainly was not planning on pursuing Gomer’s lifestyle, my naivety led me to believe that love, was only achieved by finding a perfect match. 

I was determined to find that one person who could provide complete happiness and unwavering devotion.

So, I set out on my dating venture to meet my “soul-mate.” 

Somewhere along my quest, I completely missed the intent of God’s desire for me.

I sought attention, validation, and affection from guys who were not equipped.

Please don’t hear me criticizing these gentlemen; the fault was entirely mine.

I was seeking from them, something they simply could not provide.

My tender heart lacked maturity and focus on the ONE who could offer complete satisfaction.

“Now may the God of peace Himself sanctify you through and through [that is, separate you from profane and vulgar things, make you pure and whole and undamaged—consecrated to Him—set apart for His purpose]; and may your spirit and soul and body be kept complete and [be found] blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. Faithful and absolutely trustworthy is He who is calling you [to Himself for your salvation], and He will do it [He will fulfill His call by making you holy, guarding you, watching over you, and protecting you as His own].” (1 Thessalonians 5:23-24, AMP)

Armed with the knowledge that only the person of Jesus Christ could fulfill my every need,

I became free to open myself up to the possibility of a sustainable relationship with another human-being.

Enter My Beloved...

If you know anything about our story, it wasn’t a straight line to the altar.

My husband, Ryan, was among the few guys in my teen years who was on the receiving end of selfish pursuits.

Nevertheless, his patience and unwavering passion for the Lord, repeatedly sparked my interest.

There was something different about this one.

I fought hard against God’s plan for us to be together, but the Lord eventually shook my stubbornness into submission.

Now some twenty years later, my selfish nature makes a repeat appearance, nearly every time I become overwhelmed by our reality.

It is in those moments that I realize the unrealistic expectations I place on Ryan.

I expect him to meet needs only God is capable of fulfilling.

When that ugliness sprouts, it is time for me to take inventory of my relationship with Christ,

Have I been spending time in His word?

Have I been spending time in prayer?

Have I been living a lifestyle of worship?

If the answer to any of those questions is “no,” it is time for me to do an about face, and get right with the Lord.

Having a spouse or children is a blessing some experience in this life.

However, those things God lovingly placed in your sphere: a spouse, a job, children, power, or prestige were not created to make you whole.

That is part of God’s job description.

Philippians 4:19 tells us, “My God shall supply ALL your needs according to His riches in glory by Christ Jesus.”

As our “favorites” grow in God’s blessings, I pray they take this one lesson away, as they watch Ryan and me:

Seek God FIRST and allow Him to be your source of supply.

Allow Him to make you complete.

When that becomes our singular pursuit, we ultimately bring God’s best to the world.

So dear reader, who supplies your every need? If you can’t honestly say it comes from your relationship with God, I urge you to do that about face today.

Allow Christ, and Christ alone, make you complete. Colossians 2:10