The First Bump in the Road.. Am I willing to compromise?

     A journey with no trials is hardly a journey at all. It would be merely taking a stroll down a path. This is not what I have been called to be a part of. I am choosing to walk down a narrow path. It will lead to things greater than anything I could imagine, and trust me I have a REALLY good imagination. I knew that this first bump in my journey would come eventually. I had no idea it would be so soon.I am faced with a question. Am I willing to compromise the calling God has on my life for momentary pleasure? Is it worth it to give up the blessings for temporary satisfaction? I can only come up with a resounding NO. I am not willing to compromise. It is high time that I stop waiting for someone else to do the work that I know I have been called to do.
     Lady in Waiting calls this mindset being a lady of diligence. I want to be diligent about so many things in day to day life. But more than anything else I want to be diligent in my love relationship with my Heavenly Father. This is the diligence that will reap the biggest benefits in the long term.
      Now about this bump in the road. I got a surprising phone call from a friend a couple of days ago. It wasn't the caller that was such a surprise, but the message that the caller had for me. I had dated this person while in college and had greatly enjoyed our time together. My friend had a question for me. I was nervous as I was listening to him talk and hearing the voice of God telling me that my answer had to be NO. I knew that this friend was speaking from his heart and that he truly meant what he was saying. However I also know that right now is my time to be single and being involved with someone is merely Satan's way of distracting me from my end goal. I gave him the answer he didn't want to hear, and I knew that this was going to lead to a lengthy conversation about why I had said no. I knew he would be trying to convince or persuade me to his side.
     I asked him some hard questions. Are you willing to come to church with me? The answer was no because he had responsibilities at his church to fulfill. I understand having responsibilities. I have them too. However, I know that there are times when I will be gone or have to do some other things. Just a different perspective I suppose. It was at this point that he asked some questions of his own. The one that I remember is that he wanted to know why I was so insistent on him meeting my church family. My answer was multi-faceted. First of all my spiritual parents are there. I'm not going to be in a relationship with anyone with out that person having met them and their approval. They are special people that God has blessed me with and their authority is one that I respect greatly. Besides those wonderful parents there are the men of the church that are looking out for me as well. My friend was not too keen on meeting them. This brought up a red flag for me that just helped to confirm the rightness of my original answer.
     You know I think the deal was sealed when he asked me why I was sticking to what I believed so strongly. Why couldn't I just let it go and be happy with him? I could be happy with him, I think. How long would that happiness last? Is it just another way to fill a void in my heart? Is it another vain attempt at meaningfulness? Is it trying to find my worth in a man who cannot and will not ever be able to meet all of my needs? What is the ultimate price I'm paying? Is it worth it?
     I am confident that by not compromising I have chosen what is going to be in my best interest. I am not willing to compromise and run the risk of missing out on the blessings God has for me in light of obedience. I am not willing to compromise the ultimate happiness found in God for temporary pleasures of self indulgence. I am done with those indulgences that don't get me any closer to my end goal of success.
    For my first bump, I think it was rather enlightening when looking at the end goal and how many ways Satan is going to try to trip me up along the way.

Until next time,
~Melody~