I used to believe real men didn’t exist. As if the ones who were respectful, loyal, kind, loving, and sacrificial had disappeared from the face of the earth. Or maybe they were never there to begin with. But just because we haven’t seen something doesn’t mean it's not real. For example, I’ve never seen a unicorn in real life, but that doesn’t necessarily mean they are just a fantasy…
Still, I was skeptical. So skeptical, in fact, that I resolved to never talk to another man, think about another man, or look at a man for the rest of my life. I didn’t want a boyfriend or a husband and I was prepared to die a single woman. Plus, I was happy being by myself.
I even told God to keep all men as far away from me as possible because I would never, ever, under any circumstance, be with another man. Just like I said I would never ride a motorcycle.
However, I made one exception. One particular exception because this man lived in the Dominican Republic, I lived in the United States and the chances of anything happening were slim to none. Yet the more we talked, the more I could see how considerate, thoughtful, grateful, humble, and positive he was. Most importantly, I saw how much he loved God and how wrong I was.
Good men exist. There are men who ask how you are feeling and listen when you talk because they care. There are men who will sit outside your apartment door because you both agreed to never be alone together. There are men who don’t expect you to be perfect and love you even though you make mistakes.
And without God, I can confidently say I would have sabotaged our relationship months ago. I would have told him to stop talking to me because he would run far, far away once he saw who I really was. I would have told him to find someone better than me because I wasn’t good enough or kind enough or selfless enough and he deserved the best.
Without God, I wouldn’t have met him at all. I would have cancelled the mission trip to the Dominican Republic after my school threatened to fire me if I went. I wouldn’t have taken any risks like applying for a teaching job in a foreign country, selling my belongings, or moving to an island in the middle of the ocean. God brought us together, and he has been with us every day since.
I did nothing to deserve such a man in my life. In fact, I was doing everything I could to avoid the male species altogether, so I take zero credit for finding him. He came into my life when I was least likely to meet someone, right before the entire world shut down because of a virus.
So don’t settle for less because good men are real, they exist, and they are worth the wait.
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