...while I wait is a question I face often from singles. Some claim waiting while actively on the prowl. Let's not sugar coat this amigos...some of you are on the hunt big time, like a lion in the jungle creeping up on any available gazelle ready to prance on them for the kill! Ok, maybe a bit dramatic, but you all get the point...some are waiting, some claim waiting, others will own they're on the hunt.
Regardless, if you're single and wanting to be married, you're in some stage of the above categories. I had the same question when I was single...what to do while in that period of singleness, and my wise sister said, "read some books that will help you understand dating and singleness"...she meant not just any dating book though...she was talking about them Jesus ones! ughhh!! I was NOT into JC at the time but I was into finding everlasting Love and knew at some point I needed to return to that relationship, figure it out, and be changed by it.
All that to say...I read lots of books on the subject and they transformed the way I understood dating (while JC transformed me!) and therefore how I did dating. I discovered courting (now ain't that an old fashioned word?!) and preferred it over dating and in turn made better choices when it came to the men in my life, and more importantly with my heart.
Here I am 7 years into my amazing marriage and I'm still reading on singleness and courting. Why? First off, I'm a friggin nerd and love to read. Secondly, because I believe in courting principles and want to share that with singles that come seeking advice.
Right now I'm into, "Choosing God's Best: Wisdom for Lifelong Romance" by Dr. Don Raunikar. Good stuff, easy read, he's onto something with this courting stuff (other good authors have written on it too). I will share one of his golden nuggets of dating and courtship with you, hoping I'll entice you to check it out; download it on amazon here.
"While we wait for God to reveal His choice of a mate, we concentrate on being the right person instead of finding the right person. We do this by involving ourselves in ministry, fellowship, and friendships that help us focus on our value and identity in Christ instead of our value to someone else. We learn to treat our friends in Christ as if they were brothers and sisters and to distinguish Biblical appropriate behavior from behavior that compromises our physical and emotional integrity." (Raunikar, Chapter 1). I even site passages...such.a.nerd!
That, my friends, is some good reading! I hope you stop and reflect on it and what it means to your life or what it could mean should you give that courting thing a shot!