Despite my post Gracefully Broken where I talk about my soon coming husband, I am not actively doing anything to meet said husband. I do not use any dating apps, go on dates, or even really entertain any advances that come my way. I know, I can’t expect to marry if I don’t date… I’m expecting divine placement. LOL! While I do not currently use any apps or the like, I am not oblivious to their existence. For example, back in the day I used to have a paid membership to eHarmony and BlackPeopleMeet.com. Umm, both websites were interesting… to say the least. I was young and impatient in my 20s and I thought one of those sites would lead me to my forever. Funny thing is, although I spent the time and money creating my personal pages, I seldom responded to any messages that I received. At this point I’m going to leave out my time on POF (Plenty of Fish) and ChristianMingle.com because, well, some things are better off forgotten. Let’s just say, I’m not new to dating apps. But one app that I’ve never tried, only heard about, is Tinder.
From what I’ve read about Tinder, people create profiles and then view others. They read bios and view pictures and if they are interested in the person that they see, they swipe right to make a connection. From here I can imagine that the other person is elated to be chosen and then a conversation sparks. The two mix and mingle and whatever happens, happens between the two. As mere outsiders and FB/IG acquaintances, we live vicariously through the dating adventures of those that have made connections, wondering just how long and well things will proceed. Will we need to visit a shop to get a bridal party outfit or will we need to create alibis for when you flatten three tires and key the person’s car??? We never know, but we are more than prepared as we watch what happens after you swipe right.
And then there is the dreaded counterpart. That moment when you view a profile and you wonder, “What just happened here? Why do I keep attracting these types of people? NEXT!” When you read that this person has all of the qualities of a Jeffrey Dahmer with the personality of wall paint and you can’t wait to be rid of this fail-nection as soon as possible. You practically break your finger as you rush to rid yourself of that mistake waiting to happen.
NOPE!
*Swipe left*
Whew, bullet dodged and crisis averted!
While I’ve never used Tinder or similar swipe apps, I know the feeling. I know what it is like to be faced with something that you just can’t even process right now and your only desire is to remove it from your mind and immediate view. Imagine if life were so simple that when something was too hard, we could just swipe left and it would be gone.
Navient student loan bill?
Swipe Left!
Unemployment?
Swipe Left!
Fertility issues?
Swipe Left!
Infidelity?
Swipe Left!
Cancer or another health crisis?
Swipe Left!
Annoying mother-in-law?
Swipe Left!
Coworker who tried it one too many times?
Swipe Left!
[Fill in the blank]?
SWIPE LEFT!
That would be great; that would be BOMB!
But, alas, that is not reality.
Reality requires the addressing of situations that would be much better put off until tomorrow or, better yet, never addressed at all. As I sat this week looking at all that May brought me- personal health scare, mounting bills, lowered income, family crisis, etc.- all I wanted to do was swipe left on the entire month.
Umm, excuse me God, but can I get a do-over on this month???
Seriously, I was THIS close to just declaring this month as a trial period and asking God for a Groundhog Day redo at 11:59pm on May 31st.
Great experiences but I’d rather never experience them again. Please and thank you!
Again, I am grateful that God knows when to ignore me.
But as I sit at my computer to type out this message, my heart can’t help but remember all that has happened so far in 2019. Each memory comes with its own set of never-ending emotions. I’ve been through so much in such a short period of time. And, as much as it hurts to recall and say this, each experience- good or bad- has brought me closer to God and strengthened my relationship with Him. Sometimes it seemed as though the Swipe Left moments outnumbered the Swipe Right moments; those moments of pain always seem to occur more frequently and more intensely than those of joy. And it seemed like just as I came out of one situation, another one was right on its heels. Nothing in 2019 has happened the way that I wanted it to. No day has been storybook-perfect. Not one day in 2019 has allowed me to shout to God, “This day, this perfect day, can I do this day again?!” But every day has caused me to thank God for another day to try again.
Beloved, I wish I could tell you that life will be easy and that hard times will not come your way. I wish I could tell you that when they come, you can dodge those experiences like Neo from the Matrix, bending and swerving, ensuring that nothing ever hits you. I really could say that… but I would be lying to you. That is not the reality that we live in. The reality that we face is that troubles and undesirable moments will come… and we must be firmly rooted in Someone bigger than us in order to weather the storms. Personally, I have found that clinging to Christ’s cross sustains me when the tides of life wage war on me. I have found that when I seek God without delay, issues don’t swipe left, but they fall out of my hands and into His hands. God’s hands are much bigger than mine and are better equipped to handle everything that this life can throw at me… so I make it a habit to just place everything in His capable hands.
My sibling in Christ, I want to share something with you that the Holy Spirit just whispered to me:
Like swiping left or right in dating apps, choosing that no or yes, we can turn the pages of our bibles-left or right.
What does that mean?
That means that as life’s problems come and we feel the urge to dodge them like a real-life version of dodgeball, we can instead choose to seek God and His Word. Ephesians 6:12-18 tell us to put on the full armor of God in order to fight the schemes of the enemy. Specifically, verse 17 tells us to grab the “Sword of the Spirit”, which is the Word of God. As I read in a Beth Moore book, the other items of armor are all defensive gear… but this is our offensive tool. This is what we use to cover ourselves and fit troubles with Truth.
So, open your bible (or bible app) with me and let’s face the day before us.
With God, let’s take His Word and swipe left.
Be blessed.
God Happened To ME Ministries, LLC 