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Where Is My Prince Charming?

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This question cuts to the quick. It gets to the tough stuff of life -- issues of the heart that are tender and fragile and emotionally charged.

Some among us thought they’d found that one special relationship. They invested time and emotional energy in it, only to be disappointed as they watched it crumble in a heap of unfulfilled expectations and broken dreams. Others among us (I am in this camp) have never yet found that one special person to love and be loved. 

I can’t begin to tell you the searing pain I experience every time someone pats my hand and says, “God has someone out there for you,” or “Be patient, Prince Charming is just around that next corner.” Well, I suppose he could be, but then I’m not convinced anyone has a direct hotline to Heaven where God tells them whether or not He has someone special lined up for me—and if so, when he will appear in my life.

The fact is that in human relationships—despite fairytale hopes and Harlequin fantasies—there are few guarantees. After years of missteps and disappointments, I have come to understand the danger in placing too much emphasis on one lateral special relationship, however sweet it ends up becoming. Because no relationship between fallible human beings can fulfill completely. It will always have its disappointments, its days of regret, its untenable loneliness of being inches away from each other physically while being galaxies apart emotionally. Such is the hazard of relationships in a fallen world.

But I do see in the Bible promises that lead me to believe that I can trust God to fulfill the deeper need I have for companionship—that of knowing and being known fully by the ultimate lover. While no one on terra firma can know me completely, God knows me from the inside out. My heart is right in there with the psalmist who begged, “Search me, O God, and know my heart; test me and know my anxious thoughts” (1). I want someone to get inside and accept the real me. That’s the root of my quest for deep, abiding relationship with people. How much better to find the perfect lover of my soul and to discover He both knows and accepts me. His response to my heart-cry to be known comes through loud and clear, “I have loved you with an everlasting love. I have drawn you with loving-kindness” (2).

Whoa. Love that is tender, filled with loving-kindness. Not a love with a time-expires notice, but a permanent love -- a passionate desire. I love the way Jesus put it, “Father, I want those you have given me to be with me where I am … that the love you have for me may be in them and that I myself may be in them” (3). Did you catch the passion of this lover of our souls? He wants us to be with Him for eternity, so we can experience the fullness of the love He has for us both now on earth and in the land beyond time. Later, John (who had walked with Jesus) penned these words, “How great is the love the Father has lavished on us” (4). I love that word: lavished. It speaks of richness, overflowing without restraint. That’s the brand of love God offers to those who choose relationship with Him.

God, who has the capacity and inclination to meet all our needs “according to his glorious riches in Christ Jesus” (5), is the one special relationship that will never disappoint, never sour, never abandon (6). Turns out, He’s the one special relationship I’ve been seeking all along. If Prince Charming does show up, he’ll hold a special place in my heart, but he’ll never need to try to meet my deepest longings. Those are already covered by one truly amazing relationship with God Himself.

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About The Author

Julie-Allyson
Ieron

Julie-Allyson Ieron speaks at writers conferences, women’s retreats, single adult groups, and other Christian gatherings. She is a frequent guest on radio and TV broadcasts. Julie has authored eight books.