Young ladies who wish to date a young man, if only you knew what his parents thought of how you dress and act. If it is lovely, be sure it is noticed. If it smells of worldliness or debauchery, be equally sure it is noticed.
When parents carefully raise their tender little baby boy through the rough and tumble toddler years, into the fun and active boyhood years, and then into early manhood, there are many snares to warn about. A young man who loves the Lord desires to please Him. He must wage the daily battle in his mind to keep his thoughts and actions in line with God. He is learning how to lead and will need time and patience to fully realize that important skill as opportunities present themselves. Some days this young man will seem fully independent, working hard and long hours, often without many breaks for food or rest. Other days he will need to talk and be around the house with those who love and care for him. What he never needs are scantily clad females flirting with him. He and his parents can spot what a girl is about a mile away, and while it may cause him to struggle mentally, that will not win his affection. A girl who isn't striving to please her parents and the Lord will certainly not gain the approval of this sort of young man or his parents. Rebellion comes in various shades, but it is always spotted, and a godly young man's parents will certainly steer him away from it and will train him to steer clear. Please love your brothers in Christ enough to cover yourself up and treat them as you hope ladies will one day treat YOUR son--who you have spent your life raising in the nurture and admonition of the Lord. Be the girl a man will want to MARRY, not get a cheap thrill from looking at or interacting with from time to time. Be serious about your relationship with the Lord, dress modestly (when in doubt: don't), smile and be friendly. That is how to show a young man respect and gain the approved notice of his parents. ♥
There is probably a post on this blog about lowering expectations, but here is a recap. If you find yourself often disappointed with others or perhaps frustrated or hurt by them, it may be time to look inward. It is said that when we are bothered by others it is often because they are not respecting what we 'worship'. Do we idolize something we shouldn't and then when other's don't, it makes us mad? The issue there is with ourselves more than the other person. Likewise, when we are often bothered by another person, it may be we have too high of expectations. It would be nice to expect greatness from those who dwell in our midst, but the reality is, we don't meet others' expectations as they don't meet ours. When we have too high of a view of ourselves, we can have too high of a view of others. Expect little and be pleasantly surprised when that is exceeded--to put it another way. This truly helps relationships and aids our being more steady as people. We react to OUR expectations, not the actions of others. Being part of a godly church, this can be seen in the leadership, and it is a powerful tool. Just another reason we should be in church (though God saying it is more than enough).
Warm people--those who take time to say just a little extra so their response is comforting. When you contact them with a problem, they take the time to be compassionate. Perhaps an emoji of a hug or a heart, or the kissy face that nicer phones have accompanies their words. These things add up over time, and they help us understand when someone doesn't have or take the time to be gentle or sympathetic.
A loved one of ours used to call these sorts of warm people a 'soft place to land'. We can't always be a soft place to land, but we should certainly try. We want people to come to us with their problems and find comfort and direction.
It is a challenge to continue to interact with those who seldom, if ever, respond sympathetically. Mechanical responses are a true turn off. It is tempting to write cold people off, but we should continue to love the less loveable and try to help them be more gentle. Most of all, may we look to ourselves to determine if we are being loving and gentle when others need it.
