While you wait...Be Content!

A few thoughts from my co-author and I from our new book, Praying for Your Future Husband ... if you're already married, what does contentment look like for you?

Robin:

She found her true love when she least expected it. Seventeen years ago on a breezy September afternoon I stood as a beaming bridesmaid in a lovely southern California rose garden. The beautiful bride stepped forward and met her groom under a white lattice arch where they held hands and made promises before God and an intimate gathering of family and friends. My dear friend had waited well into her 40’s to experience this exquisite moment. Now that her long prayed-for day had come, it was clear this man had been worth the wait.

How had my friend, Catherine, spent those decades of singleness? She lived. She didn’t wait around for a husband to show up before she bought a home or traveled to interesting places she’d always wanted to see. She didn’t collapse her life. She expanded it. Contentment shows. It’s the best face-lift, spirit-brightener, heart-toner remedy out there.

As Psalms 131:2 says, “I've kept my feet on the ground, I've cultivated a quiet heart.
Like a baby content in its mother's arms, my soul is a baby content” (MSG).

Maybe you're in your teens, twenties or thirties. Maybe you're still wondering and waiting, dreaming and hoping. Perhaps someday you'll be like Catherine and find the man you wish to commit your life to. Your future spouse may show up tomorrow. Or he may arrive five or ten years from now. Your contentment will show. Your romance with God will no doubt shine bright if you choose to seek Him first. As Wesley L. Duewel says, "Give Him time to do great things. The greater the work He plans, the greater the prayer preparation that may be necessary, including prayer for guidance. God often waits so that He can be even more gracious."



Tricia:

Also remember to pray that your future husband will be content.

As you wait, remember to pray for your future husband. Pray for his contentment as he waits for you. Pray for him to learn to have a content heart.

Every marriage goes through seasons of loss and gain. Every couple needs to make difficult decisions on how and where their limited finances will be directed, on when to start a family and where to direct their time and attention. Contentment in all situations allows room for flexibility. Contentment opens up new options. Contentment brings peace.

Contentment is worth praying for. And while you pray for yourself, remember to pray for all those who are waiting along with you, especially your future spouse.