A friend and I were chatting recently about what the deal is with the guys online...why the really amazing guys have yet to make a move, but how the ones we're not so wild about are shockingly bold. Oh, cruel irony!
Instead of feeling hurt and rejected by this lack of attention (at least the attention we want), it's good to get some perspective. Mr. Gorgeous Profile Dream Man may not be into me, but that's not the end of the world...
The truth is this (debt to amazing Christian single speaker, Carolyn McCulley for reminding us)...
"It is good to remember that no one single woman is going to be attractive to (nor attracted to) all the single men she meets. My single friends, I know it's tempting to survey the men you know and ask why no one pursues you. Sometimes you might glean a helpful insight, but most of the time you are going to hear a lot of personal preferences that only underscore why these men have or will marry other women. And this is a good thing. You really only want to attract the man you are supposed to marry, not a bunch of other women's husbands. Yes, you are likely to attract several runners-up in the quest to find your husband. But please don't diminish the skills, passions, and capacities the Lord has given you in order to make yourself fit some arbitrary standard that 'all men' find appealing. You are not going to marry 'all men.'"
What a great reminder! In the wise words of little Amy March (Little Women), "You only need one...if he's the right one."
McCulley's wisdom also helps me remember that I don't need to change my profile incessantly, scheming the very best words to impress prospects. And I don't need to dumb myself down or downplay my relationship with the Lord for fear that I might "intimidate" a potential mate.
A valuable lesson I am learning through this whole online dating experience is the art of opening myself to new possibilities and "putting myself out there" at the risk of rejection (ideally for a trade-off that makes it all worth it!). In the meantime, I won't be shaken when life differs from my expectations.
And I won't forget to be 100% the woman I have been made to be. Nothing more, nothing less. No matter what my matches may do or not do, I am still me...and I've been called "very good" by the One who matters most.
Instead of feeling hurt and rejected by this lack of attention (at least the attention we want), it's good to get some perspective. Mr. Gorgeous Profile Dream Man may not be into me, but that's not the end of the world...
The truth is this (debt to amazing Christian single speaker, Carolyn McCulley for reminding us)...
"It is good to remember that no one single woman is going to be attractive to (nor attracted to) all the single men she meets. My single friends, I know it's tempting to survey the men you know and ask why no one pursues you. Sometimes you might glean a helpful insight, but most of the time you are going to hear a lot of personal preferences that only underscore why these men have or will marry other women. And this is a good thing. You really only want to attract the man you are supposed to marry, not a bunch of other women's husbands. Yes, you are likely to attract several runners-up in the quest to find your husband. But please don't diminish the skills, passions, and capacities the Lord has given you in order to make yourself fit some arbitrary standard that 'all men' find appealing. You are not going to marry 'all men.'"
What a great reminder! In the wise words of little Amy March (Little Women), "You only need one...if he's the right one."
McCulley's wisdom also helps me remember that I don't need to change my profile incessantly, scheming the very best words to impress prospects. And I don't need to dumb myself down or downplay my relationship with the Lord for fear that I might "intimidate" a potential mate.
A valuable lesson I am learning through this whole online dating experience is the art of opening myself to new possibilities and "putting myself out there" at the risk of rejection (ideally for a trade-off that makes it all worth it!). In the meantime, I won't be shaken when life differs from my expectations.
And I won't forget to be 100% the woman I have been made to be. Nothing more, nothing less. No matter what my matches may do or not do, I am still me...and I've been called "very good" by the One who matters most.
A great reminder indeed--the difficult part comes in holding onto hope that there actually is someone out there who loves us enough to want to spend their life with us in marriage.
ReplyDeleteSometimes it's just all too easy to identify with the lyrics to "Goodbye to Love" from "The Carpenters":
http://www.justsomelyrics.com/475295/the-carpenters-karen-carpenter-goodbye-to-love-lyrics.html