Many of us have had our Homer Simpson moments as we spend time with someone new. Dating is better when we can keep it light and learn to laugh at ourselves and the awkwardness of getting to know a potential wife or husband. I hope everyone makes it to marriage with at least one hilarious dating story. My one friend even received a framed picture of him and his date after their first time out. I’d be scared for Date #2 but he wasn’t. They got married a year later. If this is you, don’t worry. This is a no-judgment zone.
It’s important to remember that weird isn’t necessarily bad, it’s just fantastical. God seemed to fuel some relationships that developed in strange ways in the Bible. When Ruth laid at the feet of Boaz in Judges 6, it was odd (and highly provocative). When God commanded Hosea to marry a prostitute, it was bizarre. We trust that God knew what was best, and His will was accomplished in these specific cases. I don’t understand why He chose these strange means, but God does what He wants. He’s God. For the rest of us, please-oh-please stop using weird and over-spiritual phrases. Can we leave the weird stuff to the Lord? In doing so you’ll be free to grow in Christ and your relationship with another.
This post originally appeared here on www.ericdemeter.com.