Two People Looking in the Same Direction

I Corinthians 1:10, Ephesians 4:11-13, Psalm 133:1 and Ecclesiastes 4:9-12

The adults in your life may give you volumes of “speeches”, trying to share good advice or teach you “a lesson”. But when one of those gems of truth stick in your head for months and even years, you know it made an unforgettable impact on your life. One such lesson was delivered by my youth pastor “Charlie”.  I can remember he had spent weeks teaching us about what the Bible said regarding dating and marriage. While those notes and thought have long since slipped from my mind, I never forgot a simple drawing he placed on the old green chalkboard in our classroom.  On the bottom left corner he drew a stick figure of a boy and on the bottom right corner he drew a stick figure of a girl. At the top center of the board he put a cross.  “The closer you individually draw to God; the closer a couple draws to each other.” I never forgot the triangle that as it got smaller drew each angle closer together. “Love isn’t about looking at each other, it’s about looking in the same direction. And for a Christian that direction should be the cross. If either of you have other priorities, you will never know the great relationship God has planned for you.”

I had dated other guys, but when Ed and I began to date, it was so different. We had so much in common that we could talk for hours. I remember being so comfortable around him and laughing together over the silliest things. The day he called and asked me out to go to a new trendy restaurant for a date, I knew he really liked me too. Ed was a full-time college student who was also working a full-time job to pay his way through school. I knew if he was willing to spend his hard-earned money to take me there, he liked me as much as I did him.  I still remember the cute little blue dress I wore that night and the dress shirt and sweater he wore with his brown pants. Looking across the table at him, I knew he could be “The One.” But the next Friday night would be quite different. When I got into his car, I noticed two pack of nabs and two bottles of soda. “I think we need to talk.” I remember the knot in my stomach wondering if this was going to be the end of what I thought was a great relationship. “I have been thinking and praying all week and I have to be honest with you.  I don’t know what God wants me to do in life, but I want to follow Him with my whole heart. If you decide to keep dating me, we may be eating nabs more than we will ever eat steak. I love spending time with you, but you need to know the direction I am going.”

Ed and I would continue to date; sharing our hopes and dreams and learning about each other. We would pray together, encourage each other to grow in Christ, serve God side by side and eat both nabs and steaks. The day we said, “I do !” we began following Jesus as one.

There are no magic formulas for dating and finding true love. Relationships can be confusing, exciting, heartbreaking and challenging all at one time. Sometimes our insecurities tell us we must “settle” because there is no one perfect. Or we become afraid that if we don’t stay in the relationship, we will miss our chance at love. The saddest is if you choose to  forsake the path God has planned for you, for passion or a comfortable relationship.

I want to challenge you to honestly answer a few questions. What direction are you looking? Is your relationship with God your priority?  And are you willing to wait for someone that is looking in the same direction as you?