He chose YOU

He chose YOU. 

I'm not talking about your husband, although he did choose you to love for the rest of his life. But I'm talking about God. He chose YOU. The creator of the universe, of all living things, the alpha and the omega, He chose YOU. Before you were even a twinkle in your mother's eye, he said, "she will do great things for me."

In 2012, there were an estimated 7.046 billion people living on this earth. But He chose you to be the one to love your husband. I know we like to credit ourselves with the fine choice we made in the men we now call our husbands, but our paths to meet them were mapped out long ago. God knew the heart of your husband and He knew the heart that would be best for that man: yours. 

God has a deep love and appreciation for women. Let's look back at the first woman created, Eve. She was God's final creation. He made everything, including man, and yet, God felt that something was missing. 

I love this excerpt about Eve from the book, "Captivating," by John and Stasi Eldredge: "She is the crescendo, the final, astonishing work of God. Woman. In one last flourish creation comes to a finish not with Adam, but with Eve. She is the Master's finishing touch." 

Isn't that amazing to realize? You are God's finishing touch. Puts a whole new meaning to the term, "saved the best for last," don't ya think? God created Adam after his own image: strength, power, ability to build, create, work, and lead. Those are some awesome qualities. But then God created Eve, after His own heart: soft, compassionate, capable of love, tender, able to be lead. Both men and women were created after God's image, as well as His heart.

Think about your husband for a minute. Think about his personality, his needs, his sensitivities, and his abilities. Now, think about yours. Most likely, you have little in common and much in difference. And that's not a bad thing. There's a reason they say "opposites attract..." God needed it that way. 

My husband and I have many similar interests: we like the same music, we enjoy concerts, we like camping, we like dogs, we enjoy quiet nights at home, and many other similarities. Having similar interests makes spending time together enjoyable. Now, let's look deeper, into our personalities and our needs...ours are drastically different. In many marriages, some, not all, there is a difference of heart. My husband is what we call a "man's man." He can fix anything, he's strong, he's smart, he can build something out of nothing, he fishes and hunts, he's athletic, and he's a good cook (I'll credit the firehouse for that little bonus). My husband is an amazing guy. But he's not soft. He's not always gentle. His words aren't always thought through. He can't always see the good in people, which leads him to believe there's no good in God. He's the man God had in mind for me and I'm thankful for that. Now, me? We all know I lost my halo a long time ago. We all know I'm not gentle all the time nor am I always kind. But my heart is softer, my actions are more gentle and my optimism and compassion for people are traits my husband can't understand. But why can't he understand those traits? Because although those traits were already in my heart, they became more pronounced when I began my relationship with god. 

If God had chosen a different woman for my husband, one who modeled the heart of my husband, how would either of them ever know God? God knew that my heart would one day soften for Him, His word and His church. He knew that as time went on, my husband's heart would harden towards Him and His word. He needed to put the two opposite hearts together. God needed a woman with an open heart to be the window into God's love for my husband's closed heart. My husband may never come to having a relationship with God; we all have that free will choice. But at least I can try, each day that I'm with my husband, to show him the heart of God...because, after all, God created women to model His heart.

God needs you. He needs you to do His work. He chose you. He saw your husband long ago and said, "I have the perfect girl for you. And she is going to love you, but she is going to love Me more. And because of her love for Me, you will know who I am."

He chose YOU. He chose you because He trusts you with your husband's heart. He chose you because of your love for God. He chose you because even though your husband's heart may appear to be sealed shut, your husband is watching you impact the lives of those around you. God is using you in many ways to impact the heart of your husband.

Don't misunderstand his choosing you as pressure to be perfect...think about it like this: with over 7 billion people in the world, God plucked you out of the crowd and said, "this woman will do great things for me. I know exactly where I need her."

YOU. His final masterpiece. He created you, sat back and thought to himself, "Her heart will be softer than man's. Her beauty will be more than what is visible to the eye. Her touch will be gentle. Men will see Me through her spirit and her compassion. She is beautiful, she is My heart."

He chose you...His daughter, His masterpiece, His final creation. 

His heart.

Xoxo