Non-Adventure Saturday

“This is God’s duty for your life,” my friend told me this afternoon, in regards to taking care of children. I almost bust out laughing.

He also said, in a sort of disappointed fashion after checking that I would be in Rome for two years, “It’s okay. You’re young, you’ve still got time.”

I am of the strong persuasion that sometimes, you must listen to someone a long time before they are willing to listen to you.

This afternoon, I sat on the back deck and sipped lemonade and listened for 2.5 hours (before my mama texted (SHE DOESN’T TEXT. EVER.) my papa to come home and rescue me before my eyes glazed over) to my brotherfriend preaching. PREACHING. I do not know if he knew he was telling me things I already know and mostly agree with, or if he thought he was enlightening me. It doesn’t matter. I had decided before he even arrived that today I was simply going to listen. I believe there is value in that.

So I listened. I smiled, and nodded, and sometimes I tried not to laugh. I did not engage in arguing or discussion; I have given up trying to change a person’s heart, and in this matter, it may very well be my heart that needs to change. So, I listened.

In my listening, I claimed my space. I held myself steady. I remembered what is true of me.

The point, is not that what he said was offensive or contrary to God's word, the point is that I recognized what is true of me.

God’s duty for my life is not solely to take care of children. If He sees fit to give me children sometime down the road, it will be an honor to take care of them. But my first duty is to love God. Always. God’s duty for my life is realized now, not when I get married, if I get married. Not when I have children, if I have children. I am valuable to God now.

I am young, but only God knows how much time I have left. However, I have eternity to love Him, and that is my goal in life. Not marriage. Not children. Loving GOD. I am not waiting for anyone or anything. My life is now. I am useful now. I am valuable now.