By Chelsie Johnson
When I think about courtship I automatically relate it so dating in a biblical manner. I really don’t care for the term “courtship,” sounds so old fashioned.
Growing up I was never that girl who dated. The thought of bouncing from relationship to relationship sounded all too draining for me. I had one boyfriend the summer before senior-not at all a serious thing, just a couple of lustful teenagers. My second relationship started right before my freshman year of college-long distance, young dreamers, we thought we knew what love was. Honestly, neither one of those relationships were healthy. I knew that, but I wasn't ready to become that radical female who waits for that guy who God had for me. The thought of meeting the one seemed so far away…until a day in October.
October 2011 brought a lot of changes in my life. I moved to Indiana at the end of August of that year, to attend IU. I had no one other than Christ to lean on. I was moving with at the time was a very best friend of mine. But like they say, never live with a best friend. I struggled a lot that year, broken friendships, away from home. I had no other choice but to reply on Christ. As I feel more deeply in love with my Savior my eyes were open to the toxic relationship I was in. A relationship that was formed on friendship, but it turned into nothing more than lust and sexual desires. Yes, there was love…but not the love that God designed. Marriage was mentioned but not for the right reasons. For months I felt God calling me to end that chapter of my life and draw near to Him. So finally on a sunny Saturday morning, I did. It was by far the hardest thing I had ever done up to that point. I hated knowing that I had hurt someone, at the same time though, I knew I had to end it. It was either I end it, or keeping going in the wrong direction. For months, I questioned not only myself but God as well. I never went through a depression, but that was only because I remained friends with my ex-still speaking to him almost daily.
It wasn't until April 22, 2012, that I was finally able to trust God, COMPLETELY in my future relationships. I went out and bought a journal and a book called Praying for Your Future Husband and I started to just completely forget about the whole dating scene. I turned my focus completely on Christ. When my ex would make unannounced visits to my home (crazy, right!), I would dig even deeper into the word of God. I remember nights of crying myself to sleep with the same prayer running through my mind, “God I trust You, but this isn’t easy. Help me.” I wrote about how I would wait for someone to pursue me. I read more books on Christian dating and let God take the lead.
A few days after the new year, I causally wrote something along the lines of, maybe 2013 will be my year to meet my future spouse, I’ll be 22 this year-seems like perfect timing. After I wrote it, I completely forgot about it.
Little did I know that just a few days after that, the one person I had been praying for would come along.
Growing up I was never that girl who dated. The thought of bouncing from relationship to relationship sounded all too draining for me. I had one boyfriend the summer before senior-not at all a serious thing, just a couple of lustful teenagers. My second relationship started right before my freshman year of college-long distance, young dreamers, we thought we knew what love was. Honestly, neither one of those relationships were healthy. I knew that, but I wasn't ready to become that radical female who waits for that guy who God had for me. The thought of meeting the one seemed so far away…until a day in October.
October 2011 brought a lot of changes in my life. I moved to Indiana at the end of August of that year, to attend IU. I had no one other than Christ to lean on. I was moving with at the time was a very best friend of mine. But like they say, never live with a best friend. I struggled a lot that year, broken friendships, away from home. I had no other choice but to reply on Christ. As I feel more deeply in love with my Savior my eyes were open to the toxic relationship I was in. A relationship that was formed on friendship, but it turned into nothing more than lust and sexual desires. Yes, there was love…but not the love that God designed. Marriage was mentioned but not for the right reasons. For months I felt God calling me to end that chapter of my life and draw near to Him. So finally on a sunny Saturday morning, I did. It was by far the hardest thing I had ever done up to that point. I hated knowing that I had hurt someone, at the same time though, I knew I had to end it. It was either I end it, or keeping going in the wrong direction. For months, I questioned not only myself but God as well. I never went through a depression, but that was only because I remained friends with my ex-still speaking to him almost daily.
It wasn't until April 22, 2012, that I was finally able to trust God, COMPLETELY in my future relationships. I went out and bought a journal and a book called Praying for Your Future Husband and I started to just completely forget about the whole dating scene. I turned my focus completely on Christ. When my ex would make unannounced visits to my home (crazy, right!), I would dig even deeper into the word of God. I remember nights of crying myself to sleep with the same prayer running through my mind, “God I trust You, but this isn’t easy. Help me.” I wrote about how I would wait for someone to pursue me. I read more books on Christian dating and let God take the lead.
A few days after the new year, I causally wrote something along the lines of, maybe 2013 will be my year to meet my future spouse, I’ll be 22 this year-seems like perfect timing. After I wrote it, I completely forgot about it.
Little did I know that just a few days after that, the one person I had been praying for would come along.
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