Dara Maclean To the lovers, the lonely and anyone in between.

I've always believed love on fire and a divinely consuming story was possible because of my Father's example of a perfectly imperfect, faithful & loving man of God. As well as, by the grace of God, my parents 35 years of martial bliss, where they both would be the first to say, that everyday has been even better than the last. However, I had yet to experience that for myself, at least a whole and healthy picture of it.

I have beautiful couple friends, that have incredibly passionate, thriving and Godly marriages, but again, it felt lost on me. I will honestly say, getting my heart involved with the thought of something good that "could be God", instead of first letting the spirit patiently lead, at times in my life, allowed for experience to be my teacher. Those lessons came with unnecessary heart ache and distorted images of what a Godly relationship was meant to look like...

Exactly 282 days ago, I met the man that changed everything. Everything I had ever known, ever dreamed about, prayed for desperately and desired deeply. He is all of that and more than I ever knew to ask for. From the first moment we met, there have been divine sign posts, beautifully lighting the pathway, taking the guess work out of it and pointing to home, to each other. It's been the easiest, most peaceful addition, as he stepped into my life and my family, it was like he was always meant to be there. It was right, it was natural and as my Father would say, it was "easy like Sunday morning"...

Daddy God answered this mans prayer, as he found himself overcome, on his knees in tears, once and for all surrendering this area completely to His creator and trusting Him to answer his hearts cry, in His exact time. He allowed His Heavenly Father to mold and shape him into the husband he knew he would one day be... As he was praying over the New Year, on January 1, 2012, God spoke to him and told him this would be the year he would meet his wife...

I had finally come to a place where the "need" for anything other than the man that God made for me was long gone. I wanted only His plan, in His time and I knew I could continue to ask my Heavenly Father for his best, for my exact match. Someone that together, we could do more for the Kingdom of God than we could've ever done a part... The Lord had planted the age 25 in my heart and throughout the years, kept whispering "trust me, be patient, you won't be disappointed... 17 days before I turned 26, Mr.Petty walked into my life.

“Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives, and he who seeks finds, and to him who knocks it will be opened. Or what man is there among you who, if his son asks for bread, will give him a stone? Or if he asks for a fish, will he give him a serpent? If you then, being evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father who is in heaven give good things to those who ask Him!
(Matthew 7:7-12 NKJV)

"Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and comes down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shadow of turning." (James 1:17 NKJV)

This man is my perfect gift, a servant leader, gentle and gracious, reminds me of my Father, is the most amazing man I've ever met, has me in awe with every word, goes the extra mile two times over, is beyond patient and compassionate, has a heart for people that made me fall in love with him, is a beautiful and powerful minister of the gospel, is too smart and attractive for his own good (I ain't mad;), is my literal dream walking, has made every facet of my life better and stronger, he adores everything about me, defines selfless and has been the start of the sweetest and most fulfilling season of my life.

... I'm telling you the beginning of our story, not to in any way point to either one of us, but rather to blatantly point to the lover of all lovers, the one who made it and perfected it and lavishes it upon us His children freely. Where ever you are in life, with someone, not with someone, it's really only about one thing, Him. In Him we can find everything our Love Hungry souls have been thirsty for.

So, if you're out there and you've lost all hope, if your heart is broken and you don't think you deserve any better, if you feel like you're too old or too jaded. If you've been abused and you don't know if pure love even exists... In this moment, let's let God be the difference maker, let's let His love be enough and watch as it begins to change us effortlessly. He is the only one that can and must first fill and consume our souls, His love will heal, restore and mend all things broken. Out of that place, He can bring the perfect gift meant for us in every way.

Now I know it's true, because this man is my proof. He will forever be a testimony of Gods faithfulness, unfailing love and relentless pursuit of me. I did not earn or deserve it, I'm nothing special, I'm just a child of Daddy God, who received a gift called grace that came in the form of a man. If He did it beautifully for me, He can do it for you too.

My prayer for us:

Today, whether I am experiencing the promise or the pain, I choose to say, You are always good, You are a man of Your word and I, as your child, surrender to Your very best in every area of my life, in Your marked time, simply because You are the perfect Father and you love me that much.

Happy Valentines day dear friends,

Love,
-D-