A few weeks ago, my husband and I failed to make reservations at our favorite restaurant. After driving 30 minutes with eager hearts and empty bellies, we nearly sprinted through the doors of the restaurant only to find out there was over an hour wait.
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WHAT?! ARE YOU SERIOUS?!
Although we were irritated, we opted to check out the restaurant across the street.
Epic fail. Forty-five-minute wait there, too.
IS IT THE-WHOLE-TOWN-EATS-AT-ONE-TIME-DAY OR SOMETHING? SHEESH!
At this point, I was really annoyed and Matt (my hubs) was growing hangry-er by the minute.
I looked across the room and saw another couple close to our age enjoying a wonderful meal. I instantly grew jealous.
Why can’t we have what they have right now?
We put our names in and stormed off more dramatically than necessary. How dare they not know we were coming?
Okay not really, but we were frustrated. We didn’t want to wait any longer than we planned on. In fact, we were so hungry that we decided to get dessert first. You know, to keep our blood sugar up. We both ordered large waffle cones and gazed at them lovingly as the little blonde ice cream scooper lady handed them to us.
We literally inhaled them in 60 seconds. I even had to wipe drops of ice cream out of Matt’s beard.
As we left the ice cream parlor, we began talking about what we were going to order at dinner. We talked about steak and mashed potatoes and warm soup. And then it dawned on us that the ice cream had helped but it didn't quite do the trick. We were still hungry.
When our table was finally ready, we sat down to enjoy a delicious four-course meal. Our bellies were finally full. I even fell asleep on the way home. That’s when you know it was good.
So what's my point?
Sometimes when we feel sick of waiting on something our hearts long for, such as love or companionship, we turn to ice cream cones. In other words, we begin to settle for whatever’s available rather than waiting for what’s best. It’s as if our tiny beating hearts are so hungry as we wait and wait, as place after place we seek satisfaction from fails, that we settle. Sometimes, it can become far too easy to settle for a man that’s not good for us – just because our hearts need that quick little fix, right?
Isn’t it funny, though, how we still feel hungry, or lonely, or unsatisfied?
Something is still missing – it’s not quite enough.
I know because I’ve done it. And maybe you’re thinking, "Big whoop. She’s married."
Well, yes, but that doesn't just turn off loneliness. I've felt lonely time after time, both in and out of a relationship. I get antsy when Matt doesn't text back. I question if I'm a burden to him. I wonder if he misses me when we're apart. I spend countless hours shuffling through lies in my head telling me I'm not quite missable or noticeable or loveable enough. Just like you do, girlfriend.
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Whether you're single or madly in love, loneliness can happen, because I'm a firm believer that the condition of loneliness has very little to do with a relationship status. It has everything to do with God calling us to be alone with Him.
So if you're feeling lonely and tired of waiting, let me challenge you to look at what you're filling yourself up with. Is it an ice cream cone, or in other words, a romance? OR is it the real meal?
I'd be willing to bet 1,739,498 ice cream cones with sprinkles bet if you stop eating ice cream cones and realize that waiting isn’t necessarily a bad thing, God will satisfy your hunger with His very best – whatever that may be for your life.
It won’t look like a sister’s life, love, or relationship. And we oughtta remember that that’s okay.
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