I got Devon Franklin and Meagan Good’s book – The Wait, almost as soon as it was released about two years ago. I came across the book recently on my book shelf and thought I should do a blog post on it. Here are ten excerpts from #TheWait that I find informing and motivating.
Title: The Wait
Author: Devon Franklin & Megean Good with Tim Vandehey
Genre: Christian, Spirituality.
Number of Pages: 243.
But why? Why did we consciously delay the gratification – not just sexual but emotional and spiritual – that would have come with diving headfirst into a passionate relationship? The answer is simple: we wanted God’s very best for our lives, collectively and individually, and we wanted it in whatever way He intended. This required patience.
Emotionally and spiritually healthy people maintain good balance between fleshy and spiritual pleasures. They date widely but don’t sleep around. They enjoy material comforts but don’t overspend. They live balanced lives by putting God first and still finding ways to enjoy the blessings God has placed in this world.
God already has the right life and relationship in mind for you. It may not be with the type of person you have in mind, and it may not be under the circumstances that you think are most desirable. But God knows how to make the perfect match if we allow him match us.
In practising the Wait, one of your goals is to create a lifestyle that acknowledges temptation by putting as many safeguards as possible in place. In the interim, while you wait, remember true sexuality is about confidence, intelligence, and connection. Cultivate these things in your relationship and sex will be beyond compare.
Scratch the surface of a lot of unmarried young women and you’ll find a layer of fear just below the surface. Fear of being alone. Fear of not having children. Fear of being judged and found wanting. Fear of being less of a woman. Fear of being inadequate, insufficient, not good enough. Fear of not being all you were called to be by the time you think it should happen.
I was publicly and privately ridiculed at times by some who knew of my commitment, even to the point of people questioning my sexual orientation. It hurt me deeply. These were the challenges I had to battle. Yet even at my weakest, there was a voice in my head that kept saying, “Keep going.” Even when there was no end in sight, even when I couldn’t turn to anyone but God to give me direction and strength, I knew that buried inside the commitment were keys to an amazing life. I can tell you now I was right to have faith. The incredible personal and professional success I have is directly related to my decision to wait – Devon Franklin.
An obsession with sex, wealth, and power diminishes men. That’s bad but what’s even worse is that the reckless pursuit of women demotes many men to little more than walking, talking libidos – primitive animals barely able to control their sexual urges and willing to trample everything in their path just to “get some”.
You’ll have to sacrifice plenty in order to wait. But that’s okay. The Wait gives men permission not to stoop to the expectations of others. It absolves men of the need to reinforce the male stereotype. And anyway, after a while, the whole peacocking thing really loses its appeal. Every child of God has an innate desire to do more and be more. So get to it, man.
Smart women know that sex is power, and waiting is the ultimate act of claiming that power. Celibacy is control. Since most men date in the hopes of having sex at the end of a date, you’re the one calling the shots. Of course, there’s a fine line. It is possible to use sex as a weapon or a tool – something that should be avoided.
The two of us orbited each other for four years before we finally started dating. If God means for you to be with someone, He will bring you together though the obstacles seem insurmountable.
