The freakiest thing just happened. I got an e-mail...from a dating website.
At first I thought it was a scam, then after doing some Google searches I found out "Date My School" is in fact a legit website. How my e-mail address made it onto their list, I have no clue. All I know is that today is the start of Lent and I literally just started what is essentially an anti-dating movement for the next forty days. Receiving an e-mail that has anything to do with dating is quite the turn off right now!
Flat out, I'm creeped out.
It might be a stretch, or it might not, but my suspicion is that this e-mail was just one of the many ways Satan will try to tempt me out of my "follow Jesus" mentality for the next few weeks. Sure, it seems harmless. People get scam or misdirected e-mails all the time. But what if that e-mail wasn't so harmless? The creepy, scary part is when I consider the reality of where even looking into that website could have taken me. I know it was an opportunity to be misdirected away from Christ's intentions for how I need to spend Lent. Thank the Lord I was able to calm my curiosity enough to quickly hit the "unsubscribe" button as soon as I looked into the website.
Coincidentally (or not), I found an anonymous sticky note on my door tonight with the following verses:
"Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways submit to him, and he will make your paths straight." -Proverbs 3:5-6
I pray that my readers and I will be able to submit to God's will in the next few weeks, even as Satan tries to throw roadblocks and plant temptations in our paths. We may be creeped out and confused at times, but this piece of scripture is a beautiful reminder of Christ's support in following his paths.
Regardless of if you participate in Lent or not, I hope and pray you all can find ways to connect with Jesus in the coming days.
"Your love is my drug!"
Ke$ha sure got that one right! Americans, including myself, can get totally consumed in pursuing and maintaining a love life. Prior to my "Rock Bottom" moment, I had been caught up in this world of continually working on a relationship for ten months. It was a no brainer-- I had a boyfriend and that takes some effort on my part if I want it to be successful! The issue was, this time was spent with so much focus on the relationship that now I am scrambling to get back into the groove of pursuing Jesus.
I've come to realize that I am not all that weird. A lot of people seek the love, acceptance, and comfort of being in a stable relationship. It's the reason why my girlfriends and I end up talking about the latest boy nearly every time we get together. This value on relationships is the drive behind the popularity in the idealized show The Bachelor. All this can be fun, it's fine and dandy. However, that fun and excitement becomes a problem when there is more effort towards pursuing relationships than there is towards pursuing Jesus Christ.
So this Lenten season, I have a kinda weird thing to give up. No, not chocolate. No, not Facebook. Boys.
For Lent, I am doing what I'd like to call a "Relationship Detox". Giving up something is never successful, though, unless there is a replacement for that time. In this case, my replacement habit will be a Bible-prescribed "Jesus Overdose".
You might be wondering, what does a "Relationship Detox, Jesus Overdose" mean? How does that work in real life?
In 1 Corinthians 7:32, Paul said, "I want you to be free from the concerns of this life. An unmarried man can spend his time doing the Lord's work and thinking how to please him."
Essentially, purposefully being single gives me time and focus to consider how I can follow God's lead and teachings. Instead of spending time keeping my eye out for a cute guy, watching loads of shows about happily-ever-after love stories, and worrying about if I will find a significant other, I hope and pray that this time during Lent can be filled with praying, reading, and talking about God's word.
Jesus certainly doesn't want us to all live the single life forever, but our relationship status should not be a deterrent from following Him. I am excited to see where the forty days of Lent take me in my journey with Christ and am confident it will prepare me to be more successful in any future relationships of this world.
If I was more musically talented, maybe I'd even take those words of Ke$ha and turn them into a motivational song of turning Christ's love into my drug. He has endless love to give out and there will never be a shortage of acceptance in Christ!
I pray that all of my readers can find an equally meaningful way to spend this time leading up to Easter.
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