Ok Ok, I know I just wrote a blog, but recently, as in 5 minutes ago, Caitlinn and I had a wonderful conversation and I felt compelled to make a blog of it. Caitlinn is from Pennsylvania as well and grew up with almost the same exact background as me. However, we have extremely different tastes, feelings towards things, and just look opposite. But through all those things, we are almost the same. Its weird and crazy but I love it. Anyways, back to what this blog is a about.
Men.
A word all single (and some non-single) missionary women dread. Men in the sense of relationships. Cait and I just had one of our many 3 in the morning talks about them.
Neither of us have had good pasts with guys, at all. I know for a fact I have given too much of myself, changed too much, and cared too much all because of guys. I know better now. I know better because I was raised by a one of a kind God send father.
It’s crazy to think that the one man that I have almost said I hate you to in “in the moment” emotions and whenever was given advice by said man ignored it, is now the most respectable man of God I know. My father literally has made it so hard for any guy to ever live up to the standards that he has created for the man I end up marrying.
If you do not know my father well, I’ll just tell you now, there is no way to describe how amazing his walk with the Lord is and how that is reflected through being a husband and a father. I was never pulled aside and talked to about what a good husband is because there was no need for it. There was no need for it because my dad showed me that through his actions with my mother, with us kids, and with his faith. My father is the kind of dad that will get off his 12 hour shift in the ER and go right away to coach his son’s baseball team. My father is the kind of man who will do anything to make his wife smile and to make her life easier. In fact, I think the phrase I hear him say most to my mother is “What can I do for you?” It does not matter that he is probably running of 3 hours of sleep, he will still make time to spend with my mom and try to make her feel special. They have been married well over 20 years and he still is always wanting to take her on dates and bring her flowers. I find notes on Napkins to her that just say have a good day, I love you.
My whole life I have questioned my father’s parenting style, views on faith, and simply any decision he made that I could pick at, but I have never and will never EVER question my dad’s feelings for my mother. He is in love with her. It has been one of the most obvious facts that has ever existed in my life. I told Cait today, It is not like the amazing romances you see in movies and are jealous of because life never actually turns out like a movie romance, its better then that. It’s better then any romance any movie has ever portrayed because it’s a love that is affirmed by God. It is possibly one of the most beautiful things a girl can ever see in her father. It’s one of the most beautiful things a girl could ever see in general actually.
I have sworn off men, I tell my whole team I don’t want to get married. I used to think I said things like that because no guy could ever handle me. Now I’ve realized handling my hyperactive emotional yet completely unemotional personality is just the first step. And its the easy one too. I have just realized that the chances of me finding a husband has gone down impressively. Why? Because the bar my father set by simply his actions towards my mother is most likely as high as the heavens. Ha…But seriously. All these realizations have made me so mad at my past relationships. Why have I even bothered taking interest in guys who can’t live up to what God has given me to observe my whole life? Why have I not looked to the example that was so clearly set for me by my father? I really did just go off on a huge tangent about my dad, but I hope the moral of this blog is clear. I, and every other girl on this planet, deserve a husband like my dad. And I, Rebekah Adams, will wait to date again until I find a man that can reach the bar he set.
Dad, you have forever impacted my life with your amazing values and love of the Lord. You need to know that it worked. I know you have always worked so hard to be the best father and husband you could be, because the Bible tells you to do so. And even though at times it seems like it was all for nothing because I was a strong headed, immature, teenage girl, in the end you did it. You have officially made every guy that ever takes interest in me in the future hate you. And I will forever love you for that.
Thanks dad. I love you.
