Years ago I attended a high school summer camp retreat, and one night, one of our adult leaders corralled all of us girls into a room, leaving all of the boys on the other side of a closed door.
What did this top secret, girls-only discussion consist of? In telling us not to settle, she was telling us something that every girl knows subconsciously in her heart but often fails to believe because of the doubts and insecurities she faces: she is worthy. Every woman is worthy of being loved the way God made her to be loved; no woman should ever have to feel like she is giving up any of her values or beliefs in exchange for a relationship.
My favorite part of this story? The single woman who gave us this advice just got married over the summer, after finding someone she loves, who loves her in returnβsomeone she never had to settle for. In order to help you keep yourself from settling for less than you deserve whether you are a man or a woman , I have created the following checklist to use as a guide to finding a good partner:. At times, I find myself doubting, thinking that maybe my standards are too high. But then I re-evaluate my standards and realize that they are all reasonable and fair.
Something that may help you in your search for people who meet your standards is to go places you would expect your ideal match to go and do things that you would want your ideal mate to do. Even worse, they might pull you away from God. You want to find someone who pulls you closer to God and reminds you of His love.
Never settle for less than that. Veronica Dannemiller is a Psychology major who plans to become a counselor for adolescents who need a little extra love. She dreams of one day opening her own counseling clinic, where she can bring color to the worlds of teens and children who are stuck seeing the world in black and white.
