A Revolving Door
- The Narrow Path
- Jul 29, 2022
- 3 min read
Look! The virgin will conceive a child! She will give birth to a son, and they will call himImmanuel, which means “God is with us” (Matthew 1:23, NLT).
I’ve gone on a lot of first dates. Coffee dates. Dinner dates. Walk-in-the-park dates. Ice cream dates. The list is much longer than I ever imagined it would be, and each time it’s my hope that it will be my last first date. Though I often end up feeling like I’m stuck in a revolving door, I have promised the Lord throughout this process that I would keep my heart open to whatever He may have for me.
After going on a couple of dates that didn’t work out, a friend texted me. She said simply: God is trustworthy. Though her words were few, they were very powerful. If the revolving door of dating has taught me one thing, it is to lean into that truth. Though pangs of disappointment always accompany the end of another dating experience, my heart has grown in tremendous ways. Trust requires faith, and faith, as we are told in Hebrews 11:1, requires us to lean into a confidence that is based on something that we cannot see: Now faith is confidence in what we hope for and assurance about what we do not see.
Through the failures and disappointments of my dating experiences, I have learned so much about the goodness of God. He is my protector. He is my identity. He is my foundation. He is the source of unconditional love. Admittedly, it’s often easier to stand aside and watch the revolving door go around and around. But, if I make that choice, what will I miss? I’m going to miss experiencing the Lord in my life in a way that has taught me so much about His sovereignty.
Is there something in your life that you hope for or desire, yet you feel like you’re stuck in a continuously revolving door? I’d like to encourage you today. If the Lord is asking you to continue trusting Him with this hope, keep putting one foot in front of the other. When we choose to keep our eyes fixed on Him, though we may end up inside a revolving door longer than expected, may we remember the promise from Matthew 1:23: “Look! The virgin will conceive a child! She will give birth to a son, and they will call him Immanuel, which means ‘God is with us.'”
Can you imagine how Mary, the mother of Jesus, may have felt throughout the entire experience of learning she was to bear and give birth to the Son of God? Doubt. Unbelief. Fear. Confusion. The emotions had to have been many, but she chose to lean into hope, faith, and trust.
Immanuel, God with us. When I remember and lean into this truth, I am able to continue walking forward in faith toward the desires of my heart, knowing the Lord is with me every single moment. Each time I step into a new dating experience, I am hopeful. But my assurance is not found in the experience of dating but rather in my Heavenly Father, who holds my life completely in the palm of His hand.
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