non-negotiables

I'm laying down on the couch today with my computer in my lap.  I'm drifting in & out of sleep as I type this, so excuse how direct or silly it may be.  I have developed the most severe case of right sided nasal congestion that I can remember having in a long time.  I almost fell asleep during church this morning due to the exhaustion from fighting another sickness.  Thankfully, my co-worker & her husband that I sat with were exceedingly understanding of my fog horn nose blowing throughout the service!

I've been reading a book by Kevin DeYoung called "Just Do Something," with the subtitle of "How to make a decision without dreams, visions, fleeces, impressions, open doors, random Bible verses, casting lots, liver shivers, writing in the sky, etc."  I've found it especially enlightening in how he presents finding God's will.  He describes our generation (the 20s-30s) as a cohort of tinkering millennials.  We "tinker" with faith, with jobs & careers, with the idea of family or missions, but we lack the drive & desire to commit to something and stick with it.  I don't always agree with everything he presents, but for the most part, it is very true.  I also want to throw it in the face of about a dozen Christian men that I know who are expecting the perfect godly woman to fall into their laps without their having to take any initiative.  I would like to get up & preach that to these men, but for some reason I think my opinion would be discounted.  I have this thing that the older generation of men really need to take the younger generation under their wing and say something along the lines of, "Do you think that the Lord is leading you in the direction or given you the desire to be married and have a family?  You do?  That's great!  Now, instead of sitting on your bum, get up & start looking around you for a godly Christian woman & pursue her!"  Just saying.

That in mind, my roommate and I had a very candid conversation after I got back from a Saturday morning run (which was fabulous in the 60 degree weather we had last Saturday) about our hopes & expectations for a spouse.  (Yes, I'm still holding strong that the one who knows my innermost being & who loves me, still has a plan regarding this area of my life.)  I explained that at one point in time I had a whole list of non-negotiables.  It used to include things like "wants to run with me" and "likes going to cultural events like plays & symphonies."  However, recently the list has been narrowed down to about 3 things:
1. Loves the Lord (with all his heart, soul & mind)
2. Wants to carry out the Great Commission
3. Loves me
That's about it folks.  Amazing how that list got chopped down to 3 things as I got older.
My roommate then proceeded to share the 3 things her Mom told her to look for in a spouse:
1. Is he tall?
2. Does he love Jesus?
3. Is he in the Navy, because if he is, you better run away because he'll never be around.
Funny, my Mom never said anything about the Navy, but then again my Dad was gone all the time and he was in the Army.