Praying for Divine Introductions, Part 2

The first thing I noticed about him was that he was reading. Then I noticed he was reading a Christian book—and had a journal on his table.

Earlier that day I’d had a conversation with a friend about some book that teaches women how to get dates and “put themselves out there.” I knew without reading the book that I would never measure up, becoming a flirty, spunky, “Hi-what’s-your-name?” kind of girl around men I don’t know.

That conversation was ringing in my mind as I glanced at this guy across the pages of my own book. I couldn’t get up the nerve to strike up a conversation, even to ask about his book. Instead, I tried to situate my book so that he could see it was also written by a Christian author and, perhaps, find himself striking up a conversation about mine.

It didn’t work.

I’ll admit that my self-preserving nature didn’t really want to tell this story, and I don’t blame you if you think I’m a moron. But the lesson for me is that even though God may ask us to step out of our comfort zones and make ourselves available to His unexpected ways, He isn’t asking us to become someone we’re not.

God made each of us on purpose, just as we are—extrovert or not. And it is He who shapes us into our best selves. In the meantime, He’s capable of bringing two people together—with just the right traits that make a balanced partnership.

Philippians 2:13 says, “For it is God who works in you both to will and to do according to His good pleasure.”

Pray for:

• Peace and assurance for those who feel anxious or discouraged about meeting a life partner
• Single men and women to allow God to shape them into their best selves
• God to bring together men and women in complementary partnerships according to His good pleasure