(Romantically, at least)
Hey everyone! So, I've made this thread for all those that have a past relationship history which brought them to where they are now. If you feel comfortable sharing, than I for one (like others I'm sure...) would like to know!
___________________________
I'll go ahead and start things off.
To the best of my recollection, I've had literally a dozen relationships in my life so far. Eleven were ended by my partner, and one was ended by me. There are a lot to the last few, but I'll sum up most of the others as best and shortly as possible.
The first 10 were between about 7th grade through my Senior year of high school. (As a side note, I don't just date for fun. I'm fully committed to a life-long relationship, as God wills. I've also been told by different people that I seem to feel more deeply and intensly than most.)
They generally didn't last longer than two weeks or so. I lost one due to listening to foolish advise from a friend, and making even more foolish decisions by following it. The worst break-up was also during this period when a girl named Sarah told me she was leaving me for someone who looked better. (Not to mention later on finding out she had been seeing Him prior to this...)
A notable God moment also happened near the end of this time when I nearly slept with a girl I had known from choir. Long story short, the first words I audibly heard from God were, "Reece, what are you doing?!" He saved me from making a monumental mistake that early morning.
So, after this soup of mixed struggles and heart-breaks, I went into college. Unlike most (polls say 80%), I have not walked away from my faith in college, nor do I plan to. As part of this, I'm obviously not part of the sex and party scene.
Anyway, the last two relationships were the longest at around three weeks with a girl named Reagan, and six months with my last girlfriend named Hannah. These were both learning moments from God for me, again.
With Reagan, we had been friends nearly two years. I don't know when, but at some moment we started speaking more personally, frequently, and lengthily. I prayed to God about it. Everything seemed to fall into place. Her family loved me, and I them. My family loved her, and she them. We had a couple good dates and loved each other...or so I thought.
On Christmas eve, she decided that we should no longer be in a romantic relationship. As crushed as I had been prior, this took the precedent. I prayed and agonized with God over the next two weeks. Tears seemed endless, and I didn't understand where I had gone wrong.
That's when I learned. Not hearing a 'no' from God is not the same as hearing a 'yes'. After several months, I seemed to bounce back; however, the longing I'd always had for a partner grew all the stronger with each blow.
I went onto dating sites, chat communities, and various other social networks. That's when I met Hannah.
We spent six months talking every night, most of the night, on the phone. We were devising a way to move closer to each other, as we lived in different states, and had already spoken about marriage a time or two.
Well, during his time, God had been wrestling with me. I came to terms with Him one day while driving home. He showed me how I had gone completely apart from Him, found this girl, gotten into a committed relationship with her, and just shrugged Him out of the whole thing.
That was not His plan, and I had to make a choice. The hardest choice I've ever made...I chose God.
Many things came out of this. A great deal of pain, anger, confusion...at first, but also a deeper trust and love for Him. I realize this is hard for many people to swallow, but I believe it wholeheartedly, because I wanted to marry her, but God has different plans for me.
So how does all that translate to me now? Well, I used to have a laundry list of things I wanted in a woman. No longer.
Now I look only for three things:
1. A woman who loves God, and is earnestly trying her best to live with, for, and in Him.
2. A woman who will love me just for me, and more than any other person (except God of course, and our children...).
3. A woman whom God ordains to be with me, and I with her.
So, this is the super condensed version, but it is a part of my story. Now I'm waiting. Still a bit broken and sad, but hopeful.
So, would you please let me know yours?
Hey everyone! So, I've made this thread for all those that have a past relationship history which brought them to where they are now. If you feel comfortable sharing, than I for one (like others I'm sure...) would like to know!
___________________________
I'll go ahead and start things off.
To the best of my recollection, I've had literally a dozen relationships in my life so far. Eleven were ended by my partner, and one was ended by me. There are a lot to the last few, but I'll sum up most of the others as best and shortly as possible.
The first 10 were between about 7th grade through my Senior year of high school. (As a side note, I don't just date for fun. I'm fully committed to a life-long relationship, as God wills. I've also been told by different people that I seem to feel more deeply and intensly than most.)
They generally didn't last longer than two weeks or so. I lost one due to listening to foolish advise from a friend, and making even more foolish decisions by following it. The worst break-up was also during this period when a girl named Sarah told me she was leaving me for someone who looked better. (Not to mention later on finding out she had been seeing Him prior to this...)
A notable God moment also happened near the end of this time when I nearly slept with a girl I had known from choir. Long story short, the first words I audibly heard from God were, "Reece, what are you doing?!" He saved me from making a monumental mistake that early morning.
So, after this soup of mixed struggles and heart-breaks, I went into college. Unlike most (polls say 80%), I have not walked away from my faith in college, nor do I plan to. As part of this, I'm obviously not part of the sex and party scene.
Anyway, the last two relationships were the longest at around three weeks with a girl named Reagan, and six months with my last girlfriend named Hannah. These were both learning moments from God for me, again.
With Reagan, we had been friends nearly two years. I don't know when, but at some moment we started speaking more personally, frequently, and lengthily. I prayed to God about it. Everything seemed to fall into place. Her family loved me, and I them. My family loved her, and she them. We had a couple good dates and loved each other...or so I thought.
On Christmas eve, she decided that we should no longer be in a romantic relationship. As crushed as I had been prior, this took the precedent. I prayed and agonized with God over the next two weeks. Tears seemed endless, and I didn't understand where I had gone wrong.
That's when I learned. Not hearing a 'no' from God is not the same as hearing a 'yes'. After several months, I seemed to bounce back; however, the longing I'd always had for a partner grew all the stronger with each blow.
I went onto dating sites, chat communities, and various other social networks. That's when I met Hannah.
We spent six months talking every night, most of the night, on the phone. We were devising a way to move closer to each other, as we lived in different states, and had already spoken about marriage a time or two.
Well, during his time, God had been wrestling with me. I came to terms with Him one day while driving home. He showed me how I had gone completely apart from Him, found this girl, gotten into a committed relationship with her, and just shrugged Him out of the whole thing.
That was not His plan, and I had to make a choice. The hardest choice I've ever made...I chose God.
Many things came out of this. A great deal of pain, anger, confusion...at first, but also a deeper trust and love for Him. I realize this is hard for many people to swallow, but I believe it wholeheartedly, because I wanted to marry her, but God has different plans for me.
So how does all that translate to me now? Well, I used to have a laundry list of things I wanted in a woman. No longer.
Now I look only for three things:
1. A woman who loves God, and is earnestly trying her best to live with, for, and in Him.
2. A woman who will love me just for me, and more than any other person (except God of course, and our children...).
3. A woman whom God ordains to be with me, and I with her.
So, this is the super condensed version, but it is a part of my story. Now I'm waiting. Still a bit broken and sad, but hopeful.
So, would you please let me know yours?
I didn't fit because I was the city girl in a rural school (my father's a pastor and was moved just before my freshman year of high school), I didn't want to go drinking every night in the fields, and I was the "nerd" before making good grades was cool. LOL. I'm a hopeless romantic at heart, so I dreamed of finding that perfect guy (like all high school girls do).
but I thought I would share something with you guys as well.