LOVE FESTIVAL

February 16, 2008

Overwhelming! God has wonderful works. Wonderful plans. Our Love Festival was, by God’s grace, a success! We expected little, but then our expectations were far better of what God had planned. We had a total of 96 delegates. God was remarkable in all of our activities, through our First Get Together, to Christmas Institute and to this one. Our theme was “Thus Saith the Lord, This is Love, This is courtship, This is marriage.” Which emphasized on waiting for true love.

One of the highlights was the love debate which has the question: is it possible to wait for true love? I was amazed that majority of our delegates was on the affirmative side, and most of them, well, young and singles! I was amazed to know how these young people stood for what they believed in, TO WAIT FOR GOD’S PERFECT TIME FOR LOVE.

And of course there were those who don’t believe in waiting for true love (which, if there would be none, there was no sense in a debate after all…) the argument was, why wait if you can do something to get your love one’s “yes”.

But true love isn’t just about waiting (without doing anything is a “lazy thing”). The principle of true love waits is not just doing nothing while waiting. Waiting requires trusting. Trusting to the One who holds Your future, even in your future spouse/husband (if God so wills), and it is in this waiting process that we build or seek a closer and intimate relationship with our Saviour, to Know Him deeper though His Word, fellowships... I’ve been hoping for the Scc-Umyfp to attend in this fellowship, because they too believed in this principle (actually, they were the instrument of me believing too in True Love Waits), and I was a bit saddened na hindi sila nakapunta. They could have shared more through in this fellowship.

What do we really believe in? Why do we believe? What do we stand for?

We wait for True Love, because God said to wait. It is for good for us to wait.

It means TRUSTING in God’s sovereignty and His wisdom. He knows our heart desires, but His ways are always best. We are asked to TRUST to God who holds our future, The same God who was faithful in our yesterdays and our todays.

It ended hopefully, with the question answered.

The debate was followed by a lecture of Pastora Gay Montemayor entitled What is True Love? I was struck by her words when she shared a story back when she was 18, when she prayed to God

“Lord, I want to follow You, I want to serve, please help me to close my heart and open it when the right man comes...’

I remembered a dream which happened 2 nights ago. There was a man who gave me rings, one special ring caught my attention, he put in on my right finger’s ring, strangely, the ring has a key on it. At first, I thought it was a weird and funny ring. And when I woke up, it made me wonder what it symbolized.

And funny, Pastora Gay just answered my question! Maybe because, I too closed my heart and will open it only when the right one comes and this right guy has the key to open my heart! (hehe... maybe...just maybe, it is a sign that whoever will give me ring with a key on it, would be the God-given one!  But it was just a thought! Hahah.. ) Maybe, it symbolizes my conviction on waiting. Who knows, one day, the right one would come day... if God wills…

“I adjure you, O daughters of Jerusalem, tat you would not stir up or awaken love until it pleases.” SONG OF SOLOMON 7:4

I am 23 years old, yes and still waiting. It was 4 years ago when I have wasted and given my heart to someone not worth it. I was too impatient. I rushed in “falling in love”, and I thought it was true. But by God’s grace and mercy, He saved me from a dangerous and unworthy relationship. It made a great pang and brokenness in me. But God heals. Today, I am thankful that He’s been patient with me all along. He knows from the very beginning of the relationship, I was “relying in my own feelings and not with Biblical wisdom” as quoted by Guru. It was a learning and turning point of my life.

I wasn’t convinced at true love waits first. But I have my standards. I always say that I am open for any relationship that may come... and I had none! Hahaha… it was grace indeed. He had planned something beautiful. He had told and showed  me what WAITING really means.

At this age, the youths of SMUMC are always joking that I should not wait on true love. I just laughed with them. But I know, deep in my heart, that I would still wait for God’s perfect time. I would still wait patiently even if it means until I’m on marrying age na… (hahaha)

But I know, if it is God’s will… it is all worth the wait. One day I know. I believe. I trust. I have faith, by God’s grace.

Who knows what God’s perfect plan would be? What matters most is I am satisfied and happy being  single, that I can get to know His servants differently. Am happy of what I am today, I am content. God knows my heart. He knows my deepest feelings, He knows my secret thoughts.

If God wills that I will marry, then what a wonderful moment and chapter of my life would that be!

I learned not to trust on my feeling, but to trust Him beyond what feelings could feel.

I learned to rely on His promises, that His Words are true, and there’s no lie about it.

“Lord, if You have prepared someone for me, then help me to prepare myself for him too. I pray Thee, O Lord, to help me guard my close heart, to open it only if you have given me the one, right for me to love and to cherish for eternity…amen”