About 100 Women Who Waited
Waiting to have sex until marriage can sometimes feel impossible or unrealistic. Additionally, few women actually have real life examples or role models of women who actually waited. 100 Women Who Waited is a beautiful mosaic of women - lawyers, teachers, dancers, models, actresses, stay-at-home mothers, bankers, entrepreneurs - who made a commitment to God to wait until marriage. They are beautiful, inspiring and filled with wisdom, but most of all, they are a true life example to anyone, that remaining "celibate until 'I Do'" is possible. 100 Women Who Waited welcomes us into the journey of those who made a commitment to God and to themselves to wait until marriage to have sex with their God-given husband. They show us how they did it, how hard it was, what they overcame, but most of all, they show us why it was worth it. These women are here to be your own virtual role model. We invite you to read the stories of these women while reviewing the "Two Rings to Think About" for each.
Join Two Rings every Sunday for Two new stories from Two new women on their journey to marriage through celibacy.
Two Rings To Think About
Tyane' & April
Tyane' and April are an interesting juxtaposition because they both found themselves back in a marriage with the person they fell in love with in high school. Both relationships began with a sexual and physical connection and both found themselves separated from the men they loved by distance. During this time of separation, April spent time with God and intentionally learning what God's idea of love was, how much he loved her and what God's design for marriage was. April was eventually reunited with the man she loved but only because it was God's will. Tyane' abandoned everything she had in her new city and new opportunity that the Lord had brought her to and forced her way back to her old relationship.
Once reconnected with the men they loved, they each took two different approaches. April - having been reunited with her love by God's design was committed to building a marriage God's way, without sex and based on God's love. Tyane' - having been reunited with her love, out of her own will, built a marriage on sexual attraction and took herself through another year of pain and emotional damage that only added to what she had already been through in life. Once God got Tyane's attention, she sought a relationship with Christ and found herself in Jesus, rather than in a man. Once she did this, the Lord sent her right back to the same city that he originally sent her to, which is the same city where she found her God-given husband. Tyane's story reminds us of two rings: 1. that God will always grab our attention one way or another. Being obedient the first time is the best way to prevent emotional pain and distress 2. When we force our own will, we put ourselves through mass amounts of misery that could be avoided, only to end up back within God's plan anyway.
It is important to note in April's story, that she would not have made the decision to rekindle her relationship with him, if he also had not given his life to God. How many times do we take the long way to our blessing because we are so stuck on what it is and who it is that we want? When God gives you a season of separation, it is important that you spend time learning to love, the way God loves, in order to receive the blessings he has for us. Lastly, Proverbs 16:39 says that man plans his way, but the Lord directs his step, choose to make decisions, particularly when it comes to relationships that are ordered by God
Are you taking the long route to your blessing and taking yourself through unnecessary pain simply because you cannot see past what you think you want so badly?
Is your relationship built on more than sexual attraction? Is Jesus at the center? When issues arise in your relationship, are you able to solve it without sex as the solution?
Estelle & Thecia
Estelle and Thecia are examples of how hard it can be to walk away from a man that you love, but how worth it, it is to stay committed to walking away. Neither of them let children, a lease, living together, or any other possible excuse stand in the way of the commitment they made to going out and seeking better from God and getting what they deserved. Walking away from relationships is not only hard, but its painful. Our bodies and spirits go through withdrawals; we miss them, we struggle with not speaking to them, we love them, but the reward comes if you stay the course. It was not until Thecia left him, and was completely ok with letting go and accepting that he may be with someone else, that the Lord was able to bring him back to her. Once she was willing to lose everything, God could give it all back to her, plus more. Staying the course will be difficult, but it's possible, only when you give your hurt and pain to God, and let him heal you. Don't try to do this on your own.
Are you making excuses for a relationship that is toxic? Are you getting less than what you deserve because you struggle to walk away? God always has a way out, choose to make no excuses for why you cannot pursue God's best for you life. Find your worth in Christ, read your word and learn who you are and how God sees you, to find the power to move on from a relationship that does not serve God's purpose for your life. Romans 7:14-25.
Are you struggling to stay focused on your journey towards mental and emotional healing? Do you find yourself in a constant "on-again/off-again" relationship with Jesus Christ? This will prove to be spiritually and emotionally draining. Stay the course and allow God to send the blessings and rewards that you deserve. Investing in your relationship with Christ before anything else is one of the best decisions you can make. Take care of God's business first, and he will take care of yours.
Psalm 16:8 - Day and night I will stick with God; I've got a good thing going and I'm not letting go.
Stay the Course!
Taren & Angela
Taren & Angela are both great examples of how important it is for both people in the relationship to be committed to waiting. A woman/man in a relationship with a man/woman who is not also committed and desiring "The Wait", will likely not be successful. At times Angela was willing to dance around the boundary, but because Lester was also committed, he was able to hold her accountable. Taren was madly in love and struggled to keep this commitment of waiting. If her husband had not already made up in his mind that he did not want to violate her, take advantage of her weakness and tempt her, they likely would not have been able to remain faithful to waiting. For both women, falling in love with a man who also wanted to wait and was equally committed to waiting, gave them a peace of mind that is beautiful and fulfilling when getting married, knowing that the man they chose was not just willing to wait, but WANTED (being willing to and wanting to are not the same) to wait for them. Lastly, both women show us the many ways that intimacy in their marriage far transcends sex. For both of them, having sex with their husband was only the "cherry on top" because the love they have for each other is built on something far deeper, more spiritual than a bio-physical connection through sex.
Are you settling for less than what you truly want in a relationship by being with someone who isn't willing to wait for you and has tons of excuses for why? Never settle!
Does he have any boundaries of his own? His boundaries show how much he respects himself, and how he respects himself shows how he will respect you. Does he respect you and your boundaries enough to hold you accountable to them even when you feel like abandoning them?