I hate to admit it but I've always been infatuated with the idea of love. I've longed for that relationship that just came so easily and searched for it everywhere I could think of. I’ll even admit to downloading Tinder in hopes of finding “something real.” I wanted the type of relationship everyone was jealous of. The one that just made sense. The one that we read about in fairytales as little kids and cried about while devouring a Nicholas Sparks novel. But then I realized how completely warped my view on true love really was.

Love isn't something that you plan out, piece by piece. You can't choose the person God wants you to be with for the rest of your life. You can't formulate the exact moment you guys meet and fall in love. You can’t even be sure that the one is actually the one until you realize that they truly are the one. Love is complicated like that; it makes your thoughts jumble together and sometimes it doesn’t make sense. The most terrifying part of all is that we have absolutely no control over our fairytale ending but reassuringly, God does.

It’s comforting to know that God created another person out there entirely for each of us and we were created entirely for them. Someone who is so focused on God that the only reason they even looked up to notice our existence is because God said, "There’s your future." Someone who moves closer toward God so that the two of you can move closer toward each other spiritually. A person that will look past your flaws and past mistakes. A person that prays for you even though they haven't even met you yet and will pray with you once you do meet. A person who will lead you to God and not to sin.

One thing I've learned from being single is that until you get comfortable being by yourself, you're never going to know if you chose someone because you truly love them or just because you're lonely. And it's really hard not to be insecure about finding the one when you're blinded by all the other happy couples surrounding you. That's why we need to wait on the Lord's timing. Wait on the Lord for the person who doesn't just talk about how they want a godly relationship, but the one who is willing to pursue you and do what it takes to be in a godly relationship.

Don't settle based solely on the fact that you don't want to be alone at night. So many times in my life, I have felt unworthy of love so I've settled. Settling means you have chosen to see yourself as unworthy and you're anything but. God created you in His image. His hands are the same hands that positioned every star in the sky and placed you in your mother's womb. You should never settle for second best and you should never be someone's second choice. You deserve so much more.

When God knows you're ready for the responsibility of commitment, He'll reveal the right person under the right circumstances. It’s our jobs to wait patiently. Don't waste your time searching and wishing; grow and be ready. Remember that a relationship doesn’t define you; your worth is found in God alone. Don’t forget that God’s love is unconditional and that should be more than enough to survive and thrive on.