As time went on, Lucas stopped being just a listener.
He began studying with seriousness, writing down every verse, every lesson.
The Scriptures were no longer just beautiful words — they became a mirror, revealing who he was, who he had been… and who he could become.
Among the teachings that impacted him most were those about marriage, the roles of men and women, and the value of covenant.
Lucas, who had always thought of love as something fragile and impulsive — like what he saw in TV shows or the shallow relationships around him — now saw it with new eyes.
He discovered that true love requires sacrifice. That a man, according to the Word, is called to lead with humility, protect with courage, and love with the same selflessness with which Christ loved the Church.
That confronted him.
He realized he had never truly thought about being responsible for someone beyond himself.
That until now, he didn't even know what it meant to be trustworthy.
But now he understood: if one day he came to love a woman, it wouldn't be for fleeting passion — but for commitment. For covenant. For mission.
He also learned the value of a woman — not as an object of desire or a temporary source of emotional support, but as a worthy helper, deserving of honor, respect, and steady love.
These truths changed him.
Lucas began to look at conversations and relationships around him differently.
He saw boys who wanted to date but didn't know how to lead.
Girls who longed to be loved but didn't know how to wait.
Everything felt so rushed, so shallow...
But he didn't want that anymore.
He wanted depth. Purpose. Covenant.
And even though he was still alone, he learned that the waiting season was a season of preparation.
If God was shaping him now, it was because there was something — or someone — in the future that would require a whole, healed, and steady man.
And this time, he would be ready.