Day 7. The Invitation

Today I’ve been laying around due to a sore back/neck so I took the opportunity to listen to a sermon series that came highly recommended—a series called The New Rules to Dating, Sex and Love by Andy Stanley. I was told about it a few days ago, but to be honest I wasn’t really all that thrilled to look it up; I’m a tad sour in the dating department. Dating just seems to be a big fat FAIL for me and frankly I’ve about had all I can take on the “how to’s” in dating. But, God has a way of getting what He wants and for me it often means some form of crippling till I cave—I’m stubborn like that. 

5 minutes 32 seconds. That’s how long it took me to say “Shamoly! This is amazing!”  From the very beginning something inside me stood at attention, something inside me said “Listen! This is for you!” And by the end of the series I had tears streaming down and running into the huge smile on my face as I could see how it’s all coming together. Occasionally, we can SEE God working and I can tell you with utmost certainty He’s working in very out loud ways lately in my life, bringing it all to surface today. And to think I could have missed it if it hadn’t been for that too quick of movement I made yesterday morning! Maybe getting older isn’t a “problem” after all! Ok, that last sentence is too much. I know. 

Dating. Sex. Love. I have talked countless hours to countless people about those three words, those three topics. I have a LOT of writing about them, I have said a LOT of prayers about them, and I have longed for all 3 of them to leave my life forever. Yes, I’ve contemplated becoming a nun—except, well…

A few years ago I studied for a whole year the word commitment. And today, it came full circle. At one point, in the series, Andy says “If you can’t uphold a commitment before you get married, what makes you think you’ll uphold it when you do get married?” I had to hit pause because I was literally weeping. My mind was flooded with so many moments that I had said one thing and done another, so many times I have said to God “I’m sorry, please forgive me” to only turn around and do that very thing again. I was sorry, I was. But I didn’t repent. I didn’t turn in the opposite direction and flee from that thing which I regretted, I just felt bad that I had done it—again. 

During the sermon on Sunday Pastor Bill said that when God calls us to do something, we should see it as an invitation to something better…as I sat there thinking about what God has asked me to do time and time again, I knew exactly what my invitation was and today, it smacked me in the face—you know, just in case I didn’t get it! Can it be that God’s invitation to something better starts off by saying “No more”?  Today, while laying in pain on the floor I saw it all come together and I knew it’s time to make a decision, it’s time to make a commitment and accept His invitation. As I said the words out loud “I accept your invitation” I felt a wave of peace wash over me and I knew in that moment I’d just taken another step towards the transformation of my life. 

Last November I felt this same invitation. I accepted…and then I went back on my word. And for the past year I’ve felt the twinge of regret—I was to take a year off of dating, I fell short. I tried to explain it away, but a commitment is a commitment and I failed to honor mine. God is gracious and is giving me another chance. Someday I will get married and when that day comes I will be able to say December 7, 2015 was the day I committed my life to becoming the person you are looking for, to becoming the person I know God made me to be and that includes my dating decisions—starting with a full year of no dating. 

I’ve never done this, ever.  A whole year of not a single date. I don’t know what to expect but I do know this much, peace comes when we align ourselves with God, with God’s will, and when we accept His invitation and commit our lives to Him. I want all of that FAR MORE than I want to be with any man, so tonight I share this moment with you for one reason—what is that thing you’re supposed to do, that commitment you’re supposed to make to line yourself up with God and receive His amazing peace?  

“O Jerusalem, may there be peace within your walls and prosperity in your palaces.” Psalm 122:7  His invitation is always to something better!