Don't Settle

Whenever I am away from my computer, I can usually think of 50 things I could blog about, but then as I sit down to write, my good ideas evade me.
Anyways, one thing I do remember.
I was at work yesterday (I work at Mark's Work Wearhouse), and was working with a girl on her last shift. For Privacy's Sake I'll call her Courtney. So I was talking to Courtney, and asking her about her plans for the next year, and she said she wanted to move to a nearby city, but wasn't sure now "because the guy is kinda being a jerk." As we talk more, I learn the guy has an 8 year old daughter, and it just so happens that this guy is 38. Courtney is 22. Okay. "Age is just a number" she tells me. Maybe so, but what business does a 38 year old have dating a 22 year old? And I realize some people will disagree with this. But this is just my opinion. And as Courtney's dad told her after kicking her out of the house..."Courtney, it's your mistake to make."
I know the Lord intentionally places us in situations and conversations with people who need to hear truth and people who need to know love. I am blessed and humbled by the fact that God wants to use me to reach people's hearts. I have no idea if anything I said had an impact in Courtney's heart, but I trust that the Lord, who knows all hearts, and goes before us in all we do, will use me, even though I don't deserve it. I don't even deserve to know God or to talk to Him, but He takes me anyways. In spite of my downfalls.
I was able to tell Courtney not to settle. Not to take anything from a guy other than respect.
Honey, you deserve the BEST. DO NOT let a guy mistreat you, be rude to you, or take advantage of you. You are SO much better than that. You are above that. You still have your whole life ahead of you. Chose well. My heart hurts for you. It is way more worth it for you to be single, than to be in a relationship where you are mistreated and hurt. I am speaking to myself in this as I speak to you. In our world, men see women differently than the way God intended them to. Men take advantage. Not all men, but we need to be careful. I know you don't know God. I know you don't understand His love for you. But you are His princess. And whatever guy you end up with needs to know what it means to treat you as such. Don't take anything less. I know it's so easy to be emotionally invested. I know this. But LET GO. Courtney, you are valued and loved, and worth so much more than you believe. I hope you will learn this, and truly believe it from you heart. This is truth. <3