This past weekend was spent with all of J’s family at the beach, and it. was. wonderful.

Walks on the beach with great women, fun times in the ocean with future niece and nephews, valuable conversation, restful times to read and relax, and plenty of quality time with my now-fiance.

This was the first time I had seen his sibling post-engagement, so it was fun to experience this new place with them, asking the wives (who have become friends) about relationship and learning love.

One thread throughout the weekend, either in an occasional conversation or my own thoughts, was the challenge and prayer to not be easily offended, and to not allow the mind to create a fictitious movie without the truth.

An easy and seemingly trivial example to what I’m talking about would be this. You call someone on the phone and they fail to call you back. You wait hours, even a day or two, and still don’t hear from them. Your mind starts to develop this movie of why they won’t call you back.

“Maybe I upset them in some way. Maybe they don’t like me anymore, or think I’m boring. They have better things to do. They obviously don’t really care about me.”

As this movie in your mind reels, you start building a slight attitude toward this person. Hurt, disappointment, irrational, bitter, harsh.  You then start thinking and acting differently towards them. Silent treatment, short responses. They wonder what’s wrong so you share your feelings, only to hear that they dropped their phone in the ocean and haven’t been able to get a new one all week!

So often I allow my emotions or my mind to run wild without seeking the truth.

I pray now that I would be not be easily offended, when it comes to J or anyone else, and that the Holy Spirit would begin to help me discipline my mind to not get carried away, creating an attitude or belief that may be far from the truth. Christ is the ultimate Mediator, and I fully believe that being completely satisfied in Him with help me more freely love well, give of myself well, and believe the best in people, especially J. How freeing it will be.

I’ve observed that the attacks of the Enemy on godly relationship only heighten when good things begin to happen, and it can be traced all the way back to the Garden of Eden. Satan hates God-fearing and God-loving relationship. I have been challenged to pray for J and I, and those around us involved in this wedding planning season, to be guarded against Satan’s plotting and attempts, and to be aware that he is indeed active and fighting against us moving forward in the way God intends.

I’m praying for the Lord to prepare us in every way, for that which is seen and expected as well as that which is unseen and unexpected.

This weekend was such a wonderful and rich time, and I’m inexpressibly thankful for the family into which I’m about to join. They are good, and kind, and all about loving Jesus and those around them.