~ You deserve to be loved ~

Read the quote to my left please.

Now read it again. Thank you.

Okay, I know some of you agree with me - but...even if you don't, the truth of the statement trumps your feelings that may doubt the validity of it.

Because of the truth, I want to share a few things with you to help guard your precious heart that deserves to be loved.

Lord, please protect the hearts of your daughters and may they be willing and have the heart to not only wait upon You, but also wait to jump into the arms of what they FEEL rather than the arms that have SHOWN them they are worthy of trust.

Sometimes packages can look realllly pretty.

I'm not sure if you've ever received a present that just looking at it took your breath away. You saw the beautiful wrapping paper and the bow - and were just mesmerized by how blessed you were to receive such an amazing gift. It might have even had your name on it - it seemed so custom and created for you. You might have prayed all your life for it, you might have even wished on stars for it.

You thanked God for such a beautiful gift.

You might even have known that "it's what's on the inside that counts" and you truly thought that what seemed so beautiful and perfect on the surface (and I'm not just talking about appearance - I'm going deeper than that!) was just as amazing on the inside.

The little voice in your head that says "appearances can be deceiving" was just quieted by your blind eyes that were longing for sweetness, security, something to believe in and make sense of. More. (and in the midst of these words, God says, "Beloved, it's Me you long truly need.") You convinced yourself and might have tried to convince God. You believed amidst your yearning that the beautiful gift was really real.

And then you opened it - or, someone opened it for you. Like, truly opened it up.

What you thought was genuine turned out to be much less than.

What you thought was real gold - turned out to be golden only on the surface.

What you thought to be written on your heart very well still might be - but you just opened the wrong box.

So, you brush your wounded, disappointed, possibly abandoned, shaken, heart broken self up - and wonder how you can ever trust another beautiful package again to really hold something of true value to you.

Have you been there, my friends?

In our fallen world, this happens every day. Promises mean little to the person who doesn't understand the significance of one. A person's actions speak more than any word they speak to you. You will know a person's true heart by the way they TREAT you - not in the words they TELL you.

You can always love the ones you trust but you cannot always trust the ones you love. Trust is earned.

When you realize your worth in this world - you will guard your heart with wisdom and not your feelings. You will give them a chance to become more to you - don't give them a place in your heart they have not earned yet. Your heart is VALUABLE.

Proverbs 4:23 says “Above all else, guard your heart, for it is the wellspring of life." So what does that mean? For intimate relationships, I believe it means that you must build a foundation in friendship before seeking a house of intimacy. It means seeking God's heart for the future of the relationship and continuously turning to Him for His sweet voice to speak to your heart.

Guarding your heart is a call to protect your character. Your spirit. Your you.

It's like a key that unlocks deeper intimacy and opens your doors to vulnerability - both which are beautiful and precious in life. And in the right time, they are. Intimacy and vulnerability take time to develop.

Time.


True love waits.

And I will never stop advocating for you or any other heart out there to be loved safely, honestly, purely, and truly.

I value your heart.

So does God.

You are His Beloved and with God, there are standards for love here on earth that He wants to make darn sure you have!

You deserve to be loved.