Coloring Outside the Lines: Lessons on Love, Faith, and Growth
This past year, I’ve learned so much a relationship podcast. Every episode challenged me to look deeper — not just at relationships, but at the way our culture has shaped what we believe about love, success, and worth.
Culture teaches us that we must have a certain amount of money, a master’s degree, or even a PhD before we’re “ready.” We’re told we need to be completely healed, date for a specific length of time, or marry someone “high value.” And once we finally get that person, we discard them like a picture we colored outside the lines — messy, imperfect, not worth keeping.
We are failing in relationships while thriving in careers that don’t fulfill us. We are fighting for political causes that have nothing to do with the heart of heaven. We invest in everything — careers, possessions, image — but forget to invest in ourselves and in each other.
It’s time to grow again. To stop chasing the world’s version of perfect and start fighting for what truly matters — our faith, our legacy, and our families. Because in the end, souls are the only thing you can take to heaven with you.
When I was a little girl, I was the youngest of four. My siblings had already gone to kindergarten, already learned the basics — how to color inside the lines. I used to sit and watch my sister, just a year older than me, amazed at how neatly she stayed inside the lines. I couldn’t wait to learn how to do that.
But as I’ve grown older, I’ve learned that to survive — and to thrive — in love and relationships, sometimes you have to color outside the lines.
The “American dream” once meant marrying young, having children after the wedding, and building a life that looked neat and proper. But times have changed. Now, both parents often work full-time, kids spend 10–12 hours a day in daycare, and everyone comes home exhausted, starting the cycle all over again.
Some women today have settled for sharing a man, convincing themselves that a piece of him is better than none at all. Others have given up altogether. Our families and our faith are starting to look like pictures we colored outside the lines — smudged, messy, and misunderstood.
But here’s the truth: your journey doesn’t have to look like anyone else’s.
Whether you date or don’t, marry early or late, meet someone online or through divine timing — it’s your story. Maybe God has you on preserve, like Esther, waiting for the right season to enter the king’s presence. Maybe your love story will be arranged by God, like Abraham did for Isaac. Don’t let culture cancel your values or kingdom principles.
Everyone has a different coloring book with a unique picture inside. The colors you choose, the timing, the shape of your lines — that’s between you and God.
One of my favorite love stories is Jacob and Rachel. Jacob loved Rachel so much that he worked fourteen years for her. Fourteen years! He was tricked, humiliated, and delayed, yet he stayed committed. Today, culture might call that being a “simp” — but Jacob’s love was steadfast. He wasn’t foolish; he was faithful. That’s what real love looks like — coloring outside the lines of what’s popular to live out what’s eternal.
So, here’s what I’ve learned:
Let God draw your picture.
Let Him choose your colors.
And when your story doesn’t look like everyone else’s — when people say you’ve colored outside the lines — smile.
Because sometimes the most beautiful pictures are the ones that don’t fit inside anyone’s box.
Your love story doesn’t have to look perfect to be purposeful.
Keep growing, keep believing, and keep coloring — even if it’s outside the lines.
Whether you date or don’t, marry early or late, meet someone online or through divine timing — it’s your story. Maybe God has you on preserve, like Esther, waiting for the right season to enter the king’s presence. Maybe your love story will be arranged by God, like Abraham did for Isaac. Don’t let culture cancel your values or kingdom principles.