Part 1 - Life Before Love
Part 2 - When Thomas Met Genevieve
Part 3 - Thomas Falls in Love
Part 4 - God Makes Genevieve Some Promises
In Genevieve’s second year back in the Philippines, she faced a time of struggling to let go of her ex- boyfriend. She hadn’t talked to him in over a year, but there was still a temptation in her heart. As she brought all these feelings to the Lord, He spoke very clearly and told her, “You are never getting back with this guy.” God showed her a passage from Jeremiah 3. Verses 14 and 15 said ‘Return rebellious children, says the Lord, for I am your master; I will take you, one from a city and two from a family, and I will bring you to Zion. I will give you shepherds after my own heart, who will feed you with knowledge and understanding.’
Genevieve felt the Lord shutting one door, but promising her another. But she was confused. “Is it marriage, or am I called to be sister because maybe Jesus is the shepherd… or is it a husband?”But she felt sure that if God was calling her to marriage, her future husband would be a shepherd after the Lord’s own heart. It gave her an idea of who she was looking for, someone very different from anyone she had dated before.
During another prayer time, she was in front of the Divine Mercy picture in a church in the Philippines and the Lord told her, “You don’t trust me, that’s why you’re holding on to the past.” She realized that she was holding on to a misconception that marriage and an intense faith life were incompatible, that the deep faith life she had as a single would not translate to married life. But the Lord told her, “No, it’s going to be more about Me, and I’m going to give you someone who draws you closer to me.”
There was another hidden fear. Would someone God picked for Genevieve be boring and serious? It had seemed like sinful relationships were the most fun, because that was all she knew. “A chaste relationship, Lord? I can’t even imagine how dull that would be.” But God was able to combat that fear with the fact that her first year of volunteer life was wonderful, not miserable like she had expected it to be.
Any time Genevieve wanted to date or liked anyone in the Philippines, she would bring it to the Lord and He pointed her to Isaiah 26. “A strong city have we, he sets up wall and ramparts to protect us. Open up the gates to let in a nation that is just, one that keeps faith, a nation of firm purpose you keep in peace, in peace for its trust is in you.” The Lord told her, “Genevieve, you are the city, and I’ve set up walls and ramparts to protect you and no one is getting through until it’s the right person!” For some reason, it would never work out. And she knew God was waiting for the right person.
Next - Part 5 - Two Years Pass
Part 2 - When Thomas Met Genevieve
Part 3 - Thomas Falls in Love
Part 4 - God Makes Genevieve Some Promises
In Genevieve’s second year back in the Philippines, she faced a time of struggling to let go of her ex- boyfriend. She hadn’t talked to him in over a year, but there was still a temptation in her heart. As she brought all these feelings to the Lord, He spoke very clearly and told her, “You are never getting back with this guy.” God showed her a passage from Jeremiah 3. Verses 14 and 15 said ‘Return rebellious children, says the Lord, for I am your master; I will take you, one from a city and two from a family, and I will bring you to Zion. I will give you shepherds after my own heart, who will feed you with knowledge and understanding.’
Genevieve felt the Lord shutting one door, but promising her another. But she was confused. “Is it marriage, or am I called to be sister because maybe Jesus is the shepherd… or is it a husband?”But she felt sure that if God was calling her to marriage, her future husband would be a shepherd after the Lord’s own heart. It gave her an idea of who she was looking for, someone very different from anyone she had dated before.
During another prayer time, she was in front of the Divine Mercy picture in a church in the Philippines and the Lord told her, “You don’t trust me, that’s why you’re holding on to the past.” She realized that she was holding on to a misconception that marriage and an intense faith life were incompatible, that the deep faith life she had as a single would not translate to married life. But the Lord told her, “No, it’s going to be more about Me, and I’m going to give you someone who draws you closer to me.”
There was another hidden fear. Would someone God picked for Genevieve be boring and serious? It had seemed like sinful relationships were the most fun, because that was all she knew. “A chaste relationship, Lord? I can’t even imagine how dull that would be.” But God was able to combat that fear with the fact that her first year of volunteer life was wonderful, not miserable like she had expected it to be.
Any time Genevieve wanted to date or liked anyone in the Philippines, she would bring it to the Lord and He pointed her to Isaiah 26. “A strong city have we, he sets up wall and ramparts to protect us. Open up the gates to let in a nation that is just, one that keeps faith, a nation of firm purpose you keep in peace, in peace for its trust is in you.” The Lord told her, “Genevieve, you are the city, and I’ve set up walls and ramparts to protect you and no one is getting through until it’s the right person!” For some reason, it would never work out. And she knew God was waiting for the right person.
Next - Part 5 - Two Years Pass
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