From: Rahab <Rahab@SRlaw.com> Date: Fri, July 10, 2020 at 7:04 PM Subject: How are you? To: Lydia <Lydia@purplefabrics.com>
Lydia,
I was thinking about our conversation last week.
Your relationship with Apollo, your business together, even your Bible study group.
Let me start by saying that Apollo is a good guy.
I do think he is sincere in his belief in God.
I do think he wants to live right and do the right things.
I do think he loves you.
A lot.
In his own way.
He's probably conflicted because he sleeps with you even though he knows he shouldn't.
He kept himself chaste until he met you. That was when? Until he was 25?
Not a small feat.
He probably hates that he broke his resolution not to have premarital sex.
That's probably why he "acts out."
Lydia,
You remind me a lot of myself when I was your age.
You are independent, educated, and confident in many ways.
When I was in my 20's, I lived with a hunger for life, wanting to experience it all, wanting to go to places, meet people, meet guys.
I dated a lot. I had many intimate relationships.
I thought having the freedom to sleep with anyone I pleased was power.
As if it was my power to give myself to a guy.
But as I got older and got to know more about God, I came to realize how silly that was.
I gave myself easily to a guy because I thought that's what power was, what the guys had.
If I walk away from a guy after I sleep with him, didn't that make me like the guys, disregarding women after they "had" them?
Isn't that essentially power?
No.
I did that because I did not know my worth and I did not know the worth of others.
I did not understand how fearfully and wonderfully I was made.
I did not understand that I was created in His own image and that others, also, were His awesome creation.
We all have an intrinsic value as human beings. I simply did not understand that and completely disregarded it.
You are a very attractive young lady in the prime of your life.
Don't undervalue yourself by giving yourself too easily.
Even to someone like Apollo.
As good as he is, he is not your husband. Not yet anyway.
Save yourself for the one. For your husband.
You are too precious to be used carelessly.
This is the first thing I want to tell you.
Please pray about it. Read 1 Corinthians 6:12-20. Honor God with your beautiful body.
As you know, my husband and I work together in the same office.
For me, it's wonderful. I couldn't ask for a better working environment.
But if I was not married to my husband, I wouldn't partner with him in my business.
There would be too much headache when you break up.
I wouldn't want to risk my entire life falling apart (personal and career) at the same time.
Of course, regardless of who you partner with in business, there's always a risk of breaking up. Even with married partners.
But why put yourself in the situation with clearly foreseeable complications?
You're now contemplating whether or not you want to or should stay with Apollo.
You now have to consider so many different factors since he is also your business partner.
Breaking up isn't as simple for you as it could have been if you weren't tied with him in business.
As difficult as it seems, it would be wise for you to dissolve your business partnership with him. It would be best for both of you.
You can continue to date him, though. If that is what you decide.
Now the Bible study group.
Give it some time girlfriend ^ ^
Don't rush a relationship.
It'll take some time like everything else, especially because you don't really know each other well.
I'm sure God put this group together and He does not make mistakes.
Perhaps you're feeling exactly what you're supposed to feel.
Perhaps God is teaching you to submit to Him by submitting to this relationship.
Be patient and see where He leads you through this group.
Let's talk again soon.
In His service,
Rahab