Young and Beautiful

There is a young sister in my church that is absolutely beautiful.  I saw her first at a Tuesday prayer meeting while she was on her knees with her hands raised, praying fervently to the Lord.  There's nothing as lovely, pure, wholesome, unique and beautiful as a young woman who has shunned this sensual world in lieu of serving God in the church.  This sister serves in the kitchen of the congregation on the days when we serve food.

I see a number of impediments to a possibility of being blissfully happy with this wonderful servant of God:

1.  I am separated but not yet divorced.  Of course there is the added stigma in the church that getting involved with divorced people is akin to the sin of adultery, which stems from confusion over the following passage:

Matthew 19:9 (in full context 3-9)
9  And I say to you, whoever divorces his wife, except for sexual immorality, and marries another, commits adultery; and whoever marries her who is divorced commits adultery.”

At the minimum this adds a great burden to meeting others.  Sadly I will be shunned as a leper even though my soon-to-be-ex abandoned the home (see 1 Corinthians 7:15 below) and was, and is, currently involved in a sexual relationship (see Matthew 19:9 above).

1 Corinthians 7:15 (the full context is 1 Corinthians 7:1-16):
15     But if the unbeliever departs, let him depart; a brother or a sister is not under bondage in such cases. But God has called us to peace.

2.  The age gap.  I am 35, however I've been told to look as young as 27.  I don't know her age, but she has to be in the 23 to 26 age group.  The first time I saw her in that Tuesday prayer meeting I waved to her and spoke with her.  She asked me if she knew me from somewhere.  Then asked this doozy, "What high school did I attend?"  She obviously thought that where she knew me from was her old high school.

3.  I have an 8-year old.  What 23 to 26-year old would want to take on the responsibility of raising an 8-year old?

4.  I am socially awkward.

The great hope that I have is in the Lord God Almighty who can do all things and does not repay us according to what we deserve, but according to His amazing grace and mercy.  I have my sister in prayer almost everyday.

I want to glorify the Lord Jesus through a wonderful relationship with this sister, where I will love her as Christ loved the church and gave Himself for her (see Ephesians 5:25 below).  I know I should have done this with my soon-to-be-ex.

Ephesians 5:25 (in context 24-26)
25  Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ also loved the church and gave Himself for her,