Deus Vult

So for those of you who know me well (or even if you have only known me for 4.9 seconds) you understand my passion for baseball and softball. (The only difference between the two is the size of the ball, the gender of human that play, and a few other minor details not important enough to talk about right now).

Anyways, you might also know that I am almost 24 and still single, not to say I’m not looking. But I will admit that I have a certain set of standards that I look for in a guy and I’m not satisfied settling for anything less. With this in mind, I wanted to share a revelation that occurred to me last Friday night when I was playing softball.

I play on a coed slowpitch softball team on Friday nights with a team that I have played with for about 3 yrs now. I have always been able to play every position, but over the last couple years my shoulder has been acting up and I now play 2nd base. A fellow teammate (named Matt, in case anybody cares about having all the details) who I have played with for the last couple years also has become our primary shortstop. We are about halfway through our season and on my way to my game on Friday I was thinking how well Matt and I work together at turning doubleplays. I would say on average that we turn at least 3-4 dp’s during each game. So anyways, we start the game at our respected positions and once again get busy turning those double plays like pros. About 3 innings into the game, the first batter hits and gets a single. The next batter comes up and hits the ball on the 1st base side of 2nd base, where I cleanly fielded the ball and tossed it backhand to my fellow comrade Matt who was able to step on 2nd and throw to 1st base to get both outs. I of course congratulated him and was awestruck when he said the exact same words that I had only formulated in my head before the game–”we make a good team!”

This got me to thinking after the game about my single status in life–I love doubleplays!!! Let me be more specific. I was thinking how well you have to be able to get along and work with the shortstop when on the baseball diamond. Matt’s and mine relationship on the field allows us to trust each other and work together to accomplish the goal–which is to get outs and thwart any attempts by runners to advance past 2nd base.

I started thinking how that is the kind of relationship I want to have with a guy. I need to be able to trust that he will be there when I need him to be and that he will be capable of doing what needs to be done. In a nutshell…I need to be with a guy who I would feel 110% comfortable turning a doubleplay with.

So for all you who are reading this, let this be said…I LOVE DOUBLEPLAYS!!!

So I thought I would try to do a daily journal on my blog since I am too lazy to actually pick up what past generations call a ‘pencil’ and actually write with it on something called ‘paper’?!? Anyways, I have had a copy of Oswald Chambers My Utmost For His Highest since highschool and have randomly opened it to the day’s date and read the short devotional. However, I realize that my spiritual walk has been kinda stagnant lately. I want to be committed to reading God’s Word and meditating on what He has to say. I also thought it would be helpful to read a devotional and ponder on what the author had to say. Case in point, I thought I would give old Chambers another chance…an honest chance to open my eyes to what God has communicated to us thru Scripture. So here goes…(and if you notice that I am getting lazy and not ‘journaling’, or blogging as we call it nowadays, feel free to get on my case and harass me to get going with it. Without further ado…

Today’s topic was the call of God. Many of us, myself included, often wonder what it is that God wants us to do with our life. I know for me, a recent college graduate, I have been forced to sit down and really think about what it is God is calling me to do. Yet, so often I complain when He actually calls me to do something. I realize now that unless I am open to what His plans are for my life, and willing to let go of my own plans, then I will never be able to answer the ‘call’ of God. As Chambers writes,

If we are in communion with God and recognize that He is taking us into His purposes, we shall no longer try to find out what His purposes are.

I can look back on situations in my own life when I have had to let God take over and let me own ideas and comforts go. And each time I reflect on those moments of trusting God completely…well, everything was so much better! Until I asked God to make me uncomfortable and put me into situations that would be difficult, life was a constant worry about what I would do with my life and if I could handle myself. I thank God everyday for allowing me to go thru many of the growing periods in my life. Without going thru them, I wouldn’t be able to understand what it means to truly be quiet and let God’s calling take full control of my life.

This was told to me by my bestest friend in the whole world… [you know who you are]

In God’s really annoying,

most inconvenient,

impractical,

maddening, but perfect timing…

Shepherd the flock of God that is among you, exercising oversight, not under compulsion, but willingly, as God would have you; not for shameful gain, but eagerly; not domineering over those in your charge, but being examples to the flock.

So i don’t even know where to begin!!! The past couple of days have been so incredible for me. It is Seek Week here at school and our speaker is Voddie Bauchum. If you have never heard him speak before, you are missing out!!! His talks have been centered on what Biblical Manhood and Womanhood look like. He began Wednesday by speaking to all the girls in the room and he called us his daughters. The guys had the unique opportunity to “listen in” on his talk, just as if he was speaking to all his daughters in his livingroom about what to look for in a man. The passage that we focused on was Ephesians 5:22-31. The following is a checklist for what every girl should look for in a godly man:

1. Leads in Biblical Love [5:25]

2. Leads in the Word [ 5:26]

3. Leads in Righteousness [5:27]

4. Leads in Selflessness [5:28-29]

5. Leads Independently [5:31]

WOW!!! I am so excited to know that there are guys living a life as Voddie described and I eagerly (and trying patiently) to wait for God to bring a godly man into my life who I can share a lifetime with, pleasing God together. My prayer is that I will continue to grow as a Biblical Woman and will not allow myself to lower my standards for a guy. If I have to lower the standards, then he is not the one for me.

I also pray for all the guys who have been able to hear Voddie speak these past two days. I pray that they will seek to live a life according to God’s will and they will become Biblical Men who in turn become godly husbands and fathers.