When The Smoke Clears

I used to have a list of qualities my perfect guy would have. When I was 18, they were deal breakers. He had to be a nice, funny, smart Christian who was as musical as I was and who could sit on the back porch and carry on a conversation with my father without missing a beat. If he could pull all of those things off, he had his foot in the door. Then there were the bonuses. If he drove a pick-up truck or a Jeep Wrangler, played the guitar, and knew how to lead a girl while dancing the way my grandfather does, he made it to the dinner table. Finally, if he liked to watch old musicals as much as I did without feeling like he was losing his masculinity, he was golden!

Then I opened my eyes to the real world. I realized that I didn't want to fall in love, but that I wanted to fall in love in a movie. Things just don't work like that. I wonder now if I ever really wanted them to. But that's a debate for another time. This one is about standards versus ideals. When I was 18, I thought all of those things I looked for in a guy were standards, when in fact, most of them were ideals.

So what am I looking for now? I still have a few deal breakers. He still has to be a nice, smart Christian who can carry on an intelligent conversation with my father. But now, he doesn't have to be funny so much as have a sense of humor. And while it would be great if I find someone as musical as I am, as long as he appreciates the existance of music in the world, I'm fine. The truth is, you can't set rules on who you fall in love with, because it's not up to you or me. It's up to God. So beware when you start defining your "type" - whether it be musicians, runners, or blondes.... God's the only one who knows your true type. And you just might be surprised.