WHILE HE SAW HER FOR THE FIRST TIME BACK IN DECEMBER,
nothing compares to when Nathan saw Samantha through the eyes of God. “Sam’s physical
beauty is obvious, but, it is not what caused me to want to become closer with her. On July 11,
2015, we were having a service at church and were in the middle of worship. I was at the front
near the stage and Sam was about two rows back in the seats. I love watching her worship the
King, it makes me want to go after Him more. I turned around to see her and got much more
than I bargained for. For the first time, I saw her rightly. I saw her the way I believe God had
intended for me to see her all along... With her head turned to Heaven, eyes closed, hands
lifted to the Lord, and the purest smile I have ever seen. I saw Sam in a much truer definition
of the word beauty.” To Nathan, nothing compares to the light that shines from within. “What
makes Sam beautiful is her heart being submitted to Jesus and her being willing to lay down
her desires and what she thinks is best to live in pure obedience to the Lord. You’ve never seen
someone beautiful until you’ve seen someone’s heart be completely given over to Jesus and
in love with Him to the fullest. When I saw Sam loving on Jesus for the first time, I saw her in
a beauty that is much more real and pure. This beauty is more than what clothes she has on,
how she wears her makeup, or even what size her waist is. A heart that is going after God; that
is what makes her beautiful.” Samantha shares, “My relationship with God is the most crucial
part of my life. Before my family, before Nathan, before school, before finances, etc., is my
relationship with Him. This is because He has better plans for me than I, or anyone else, have
for me. Whenever I’m in a hard situation, He is there to wrap His arms around me. Whenever I
have lost hope, He reminds of the place He’s brought me from. Whenever I am feeling down,
He leads me to words of love and intimacy in scripture. By saying yes to all of Him, He has
come into every aspect of my life.”
In today’s society, waiting until marriage has become a lost moral of the past. However,
Samantha is a firm believer in that tradition - not for her parents, not for a public image, but
to honor and respect her relationship with the One who is first in her life. “Falling in love with
who Jesus is was the biggest influence on my decision to wait. Entering into actions that could
further me from the heart of God is something I couldn’t fathom. Once you’ve tasted how real
and how sweet His presence is, you don’t ever want to do anything that could cause separation in one degree.” Waiting allows her to hear His voice clearly. “God has the perfect plan for
my life and I trust Him.” So far, there’s been a mixed reaction to her decision, but Samantha
is staying true to her heart’s vow. “The most common attitude I’ve come across is it’s not the
norm. I’ve heard girls say that they didn’t wait because they thought that was what it would
take to feel beautiful or wanted. Many girls who didn’t wait feel some level of shame at some
point because it was not to a person who loved them unconditionally. Something I’ve learned
about waiting is that God intended for there to be no shame, no doubt, no heartbreak. He
intended for it to be something beautiful and an opportunity to become one with the one God
has chosen for us. Ladies, this is the way God planned it for all of us! It’s so beautiful. Waiting
is worth it. It’s worth the ridicule, it’s worth the second guessing, and it’s worth the loss of
potential boyfriends…just trust in Him because He has your Prince Charming on hold for you
one day. The ones who haven’t waited are beautiful, too. I’ve learned that God doesn’t hold
things against you. If you turn to Him, He will restore your innocence. You just have to have
faith and let Him.” Once Samantha shared her decision with Nathan, he was supportive and
understanding. In fact, he felt the same. “Having Nathan be so pure heartedly on the same
page as me is such a blessing. Without us pursuing God and His plans for us at the same speed,
we would not be able to be where we are spiritually.”
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