‘Mr Layby’!

Mr Layby was a term that came to me in 2003 when I was praying and thinking about my future life partner. I had deferred from uni for the year to work in a church, and my relationship with God was going to a much deeper level than I’d ever experienced before. I was journaling, reading the Bible, worshipping and seeking God. I was spending hours doing this on Saturdays, and when I could during the week also. I would pray and seek God about many things, and one of those was my future life partner. I wanted to be married one day, but didn’t know who, when or how! (ha…I still don’t know the answers to all of these questions…7 years on!)

One day I was walking and praying and this analogy of ‘layby’ came to mind. I could picture a layby counter like they have in Target, with a long service desk, cash register and sales assistant, and a door leading to a storeroom where all the layby’s are kept. I felt that my husband was behind that door, in the storeroom; that God had already chosen him and set him aside. I felt what God was asking of me until I met him, was that I be faithful. Whether that be faithful in my workplace, in serving, in the building of my character, in loving my family, in being obedient, etc. Every time I was being faithful, I was making a transaction, or ‘paying off’ some of the layby. And I felt that at the appointed time, the balance would tip and I would meet the man that had been set apart for me.

This has stuck in my head ever since and encouraged me to keep on praying and trusting!

In 2003 I was leading a young girls Year 9 life group. The girls were often talking about boys, friends, family, boys, school and boys! While I was 20 at the time and had never had a boyfriend, ‘boys’ was a topic I was interested in too! I had read books on dating (and books on not dating!), and was also observing my friends heading into new relationships, getting engaged, etc.

One day I shared what I’ve just shared with you with them, and they coined the term, ‘Mr Layby’. Since then I’ve been praying for my Mr Layby, and every now and then one of these girls who I am still in contact with, will remind me to keep holding out for my Mr Layby!!

Just today I found this definition of a ‘layby’ on the Australian Competition & Consumer Commission website: a ‘lay-by’ is essentially a contract between you and a retailer where you pay for goods over a period of time rather than upfront. In most lay-by agreements, you pay an initial deposit, followed by regular repayments. The goods are held by the retailer until you have paid the full price of the goods.

Now, I don’t for one minute believe that we can ‘pay off’ anything that God wants to give us in life. We can’t strive and can definitely not ‘earn’ what God gives us by His grace. However, this analogy has helped to take the focus off of me looking for ‘Mr Right’, turn my trust to God and just keep doing what I know to do – be faithful. It reminds me that at the appointed time, which is God’s perfect timing (to humans God’s timing often feels much too late!!), I will meet this person. And it helps me to know that I don’t have to be anxious about us meeting or being available for one another; God has already set this person aside for me.  

So, from now on, when you hear me talk about Mr Layby, you’ll know what I’m referring to!!

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