God & Dad Bods

This picture was taken a couple weeks before Max and I started dating. Max made it clear to me that he wanted to date, but I, shockingly, needed a lot of time to really think about this crazy thing we were about to do. But man I’m glad he waited it out.

I feel the need to start this article with a few statements: I know Max and I have been dating less than two months. I am not trying to imply anything about our relationship or future with this post.

Max read this post before I published it, and I made sure he supported it.

I want to define my use of the word love. For me, I’m not saying I’m in love. I’m not referring to a deep, sacrificial, soul mate kind of love. This ‘love’ I use is very much the love you have for your best friend. It’s love that you want the best for someone. You care deeply about them. You’re there for them.

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I loved dad bods before anyone else. I’ll say it. I’m the hipster of dad bods. Before TSM started publishing articles about why girls love the dad bod, I was an outspoken advocate for the soft tummy. I can’t explain it; I’ve just always liked guys a little bit on the bigger side. I sort of became associated with the dad bod—people knew I liked big boys, and so did I. It was hard to imagine not liking someone with a bit of a belly.

And now, here I am, dating a boy, who is err… lacking a dad bod. My boyfriend, Max, who I like a whole lot, doesn’t have a squishy belly. Not at all. The boy is skinny.

But, no, I’m not writing a whole article about how I have quit my addiction to the dad bod. I’m writing this post about something much bigger.

I always thought the boys I would date would have dad bods, but God had something else in store.

God’s plans are often so different from ours. We as humans are broken and I believe we tend to gravitate towards what we know. Risk and the unknown is scary, so we cling to the familiar. Even if it hurts us, or leads to disappointment, or causes us to settle.

So it shouldn’t be any surprise that God’s plans for us, his plans for good and fulfillment, are often much different than what we know, or what we can imagine.

I never thought I’d be dating Max, and not because of something as superficial as his body. I just never thought I’d be dating a boy who had become one of my best friends. I never thought I’d be getting a boyfriend two and a half months before I move 600 miles away. I never thought I’d be considering a long distance relationship.

But, above all else, I never thought I’d be dating a guy who loves me so well.

See, God’s plans are meant to rock your whole world.

God gave me Max. I truly believe that. About a month ago, I sent the following text to my dear friend, Grace:

A few days ago I was reading my old prayers in my journal and I wrote a lot when I was trying to get over a boy who had hurt me, and how I wished God would help me realize how I deserved to be loved and also wrote a lot about how sweet Max was and how I wished I loved him the way he loved me (friend wise) and it’s so crazy reading that bc I feel like God gave me that and I didn’t see it then but God was like working everything out to bring me Max as this boy who loves me so well.

Looking at the past few months, I would not say I was able to look around and see God at work. I knew he was, but I wasn’t sure how. I was praying to God to help me focus on finding a man that would treat me the way I deserved, while dealing with a healing heart. I was also praying a lot that I could be the friend Max deserved. I thanked God for him all the time. I know now that he put Max in my life, at first, to be my friend. (PSA: Max is such a good friend, and everyone who is friends with him should consider themselves very lucky)

I see how God brought Max into my life, and how, things were slow for a while, because I needed time to see God’s plans.

Like I’ve said before, I would have never expected to be where I am now. And it didn’t happen instantaneously. At all. The choice to date Max took a lot of prayer and thought, not because I didn’t want to, but because of the crazy changes each of our lives are about to take. But after a lot of thought, I truly believe this where God has lead me. I am not trying to imply that God has given me Max forever and that he’s The One. But being with Max is where I’m supposed to be right now.

I know what we’re doing is crazy. I know a lot of people might think we’re naïve or stupid. I know this because not that long ago, I had the same thoughts. Long distance is absolutely terrifying and kind of crazy, which thankfully, is God’s specialty.

I didn’t write this article to brag about this boy I like a lot. I didn’t write this article to give relationship advice. I wrote this article to once again express my awe at how God ROCKS my world.

Don’t get too attached to the plans you have for your life. God has got the best in store. I thought I would never change my dad bod ways. But God had much better plans for me.

“And we know that God causes everything to work together for the good of those who love God and are called according to his purpose for them.” // Romans 8:28

#excitement #July2016 #lessonslearned #relationships