Set Apart Thoughts from Leslie Ludy
"Not long after Eric and I officially began our relationship, he left for a missionary training school several states away. He did not have e-mail, a pager, or a cell phone while he was gone. The only way I could communicate with Eric for several months was through letters (which had to somehow be kept hidden from his overly curious roommates) and once-a-week phone calls via one of the few pay phones on his campus. Without the constant reassurance of his devotion to me, I began to worry that he was going to forget about me and find someone else. One Friday night I hung around the house, waiting expectantly for a call from him that never came. Even though there were plenty of reasons why he might have been unable to call me—from an unplanned team meeting to an extra-long line at the phone booth—I still found myself restless and unable to concentrate on anything else. My mind began to race: What if he is losing interest in me? What if he met someone else? What if he changed his mind about our relationship? I wandered miserably out to the back yard and sat on the porch swing. Silently, I began to pour out my anxieties to my King. In the middle of my internal ranting, I sensed a clear, calm voice speaking to my heart.“Leslie, do you want My very best for this area of your life?”My agitation quieted as I responded, “Yes, Lord—I do want Your best. I want You to script my story.”As gently as a spring breeze, I felt Him whisper, “Can You trust me with Eric? Will you allow Me to do whatever I see fit in this relationship?”At that moment I realized how tightly I had started to cling to this newly discovered love story with Eric. Even though I believed that God had initiated this romance, I had taken the pen back out of His hands. But now I was reminded of how incredibly faithful He was. Why had I questioned Him? Why had I ceased to trust Him? He knew, far better than I, what was best for this relationship. If for some reason Eric was not the one He had for me, then I realized He had an even better plan for this area of my life, even though that was difficult to imagine with my limited mind. I closed my eyes and opened my hands.“Forgive me for taking the pen back into my own hands,” I prayed. “I now offer it fully to You again. You may do with this relationship whatever You see fit. I will trust You with all my heart.” Peace washed over me as I spoke those words. Jesus Christ was in control—not me. From that point on in my relationship with Eric, I focused on keeping an open hand instead of clinging to my own desires. My true Prince knew best. And He was always perfectly faithful.One of the best ways to keep Jesus Christ at the center of a relationship is to keep an open hand at all times. Whenever we start to cling too tightly to a friendship, relationship, or even the desire for a relationship, we must take a step back, examine our heart and entrust the pen back to the Author of romance."Have a blessed day!
