This is a picture of my youngest daughter at the age of 12 with her dog Frodo. I am in quite a melancholy mood as I’m preparing for her bridal shower tomorrow. It’s amazing to me how quickly time flies; I know, a bit cliche but oh so true when you’ve watched your children grow and marry and begin lives of their own.
I can remember some defining moments, with the advice of Dr. James Dobson in hand, my husband and I let our four daughters know pretty early on that we would not allow them to date until they were 16 years old. When that day arrived we would sit down with the Birthday girl and give her a beautiful skeleton key with a pink satin ribbon tied upon it. We told her that we had been the guardians of her virtue and now we were handing over the responsibility to her. It wasn’t easy, but we let her know that she had to make wise choices from the young men that she would date.
I can still hear the voices of my daughters as they would repeat what I had always told them, it was usually accompanied by a roll of the eyes and a smile, “I know mom, every date is a potential husband.” Lol! Yep, that’s what I told them. In fact, one daughter chose not to date until her Senior Prom and yes, a few years later they were wed. I can honestly say that she saved herself some of the heartache that some of her sisters experienced.
Whether a young girl chooses to opt out of dating or not, the most important point is that she continues to become the sort of young woman that her future husband might want one day. If you’re looking for a Godly man, then become a Godly woman. And if you are looking for a Godly man, then don’t be surprised that you can’t find him in a Bar. Lol!
I know that waiting can be one of the hardest parts. There were many nights that were filled with tears for my daughters wondering if God was hearing their prayers. I would encourage the girls to write down on a piece of paper the character traits that they would like to find in a man and to pray about it. God really does care, right from the beginning He said, “It is not good that man should be alone; I will make him a helper comparable to him.” Genesis 2:18 (NIV). Think about it, God knows our need and also who would make a good match for us.
I can remember one of my daughters telling her friends, “If I’m waiting for the right one, then I believe that God has someone out there waiting for me.” That was beautiful to hear; the fact that my daughter “believed” that God had someone waiting for her.
God has been faithful to the faithful; He has blessed each daughter with a wonderful husband. Not all the paths were the same or even easy, but in the end, each daughter trusted God for her future mate and they were rewarded for it. They have each given their husband's their key upon their wedding night.
Enough said; I have a shower to put on! ; )
