Becoming The One - Daenielle Isaacs

As I prepared to leave for college in Indiana, mom’s advice on dating was this; “Discover what you love doing and pursue that. As you run towards the things that God has put in your heart, you’ll suddenly find someone else running alongside you who is passionate about the same things.”  

I can’t say I did the best job of following this advice. I had my fair share of “prodigal daughter” years where I went off in search of my own identity in other people, only to learn that my identity can only be found in my Creator. Eventually though, I got back on track and started to discover and pursue the things that were of interest to me - from God, to learning about other cultures and even crocheting.  

The day I met my husband, I was not looking at all. In fact, I was so oblivious that I didn’t even realise that he was interested in me. We met at a wedding that I wasn’t supposed to be at (a story for another day). The whole dinner we were talking about the different adventures we’d be on - him backpacking through Kerala and me volunteering on a ship called the Doulos. We shared story upon story and a friendship formed. 

This year, we celebrated our 10th year wedding anniversary and I hold fast to what mom said all those years back as I was about to leave for college. As we pursue the things that God has put in our heart and work on stewarding those dreams, talents and purposes, God watches over our lives and brings the right person at the right time. As I stayed true to discovering who God made me to be, I found God writing my husband into my story.  

Now married with 2 kids, I’m so thankful for the years that I spent working on myself - whether in spirit, soul or body. What I invested in those seasons are paying off in this season, as I can withdraw from the bank that I deposited into. 

SPIRIT 

You can only give what you’ve received - in marriage or otherwise. Pursue personal wholeness and a pure, vulnerable relationship with God. This is the bedrock for doing life well. All else is built on this foundation. If we want to build and establish anything that matters in the life of eternity, this is key.  

As a single person, I had so much time! Diving into God, studying the Bible, and giving (financially or volunteering my time) is HUGE in this season. There is so much that you can do in these seasons - don’t live selfishly! A practical tip; try giving up entertainment (Netflix, video games, social media, etc.) for a season and see how much time you have - then go find someone to be discipled by and someone to disciple. 

SOUL (Emotions, Mind & Will) 

Emotions - Work on your EQ (Emotional Intelligence). Learn to identify and process your emotions in a healthy way - this will help you massively in relationships! Discover what you love to do to rest and recharge: Do you love time with people? Are you outdoorsy? Are crafts or projects energising? What does your Sabbath look like? 

 Mind - Learn! Learn! Learn! Whether it’s taking a programming class, learning how to swim or reading up on ancient Egypt - learning grows your mind and gives you depth. You can learn ANYTHING on YouTube these days, there really is no excuse. (Exchange the time you’d use to watch movies with this!) 

 Will - Get disciplined by getting around people who are disciplined, and learn how to say ‘yes’ and ‘no’. Your ‘yes’ will determine your heading, your ‘no’ will protect your ‘yes’. Another great exercise for the muscle called your will is fasting. Regular seasons of fasting give you the ability to strengthen your ‘yes’ and your ‘no’. 

BODY 

Fitness and Nutrition. Both are important. Find an exercise routine that works for you. Learn how to eat and cook healthy. We are called to be good stewards of all that we’ve been given, including our bodies.  

OUR WORLD 

Whether doing volunteer work or championing a cause in your community (working with the underprivileged, etc.), this is another great way to live generously, with an external focus. All that we’ve been blessed with is so that it can flow out of our lives and into our world. Live a life that will have an impact on earth - bring Kingdom into your world! 

Focusing on developing myself and giving back to my world not only gave purpose to my single years, but also gave me so much more to bring into marriage and family life at a later stage. I didn’t know it back then, but in hindsight, I’m so grateful for mom’s words of wisdom to me.  

So, go on ahead, discover who God made you to be and become the best version of yourself. Rather than looking for the one, become THE ONE and leave the rest to God. He is good and will do so much more than you could ever imagine or dream of. I’m cheering you on! 

 Written By Daenielle Isaacs 

Daenielle is wife to Jai and mother to two beautiful kids Mikhael and Anya, she is on team at Kingdomcity.