I am the kind of girl who likes to make the most of her time, to stay active, see new landscapes, taste new flavors, hear different sounds, smell the mixing fragrances of places and people, and feel wind, sun, and temperature. I like meeting new people, doing something I’ve never done before, and am open to trying everything once (with the exceptions of clams, non-prescription drugs, and roller coasters).
So here, I find myself and my interests sitting in a chair staring at the backs of my hands that are in prayer pose, scrolling my iTunes library for just the right worship song, and somehow repetitively logging on and logging off Facebook, Instagram, and my email even though my Bible is resting in it’s brown leather at just the right distance from both my working arms. I like it’s leather, I also like that it looks like my sisters Bible, and I think I see sand speckling it, a result of yesterday’s accidental nap on the beach with my Bible… You see? I get distracted.
It appears I’ve become somewhat bored, not surprising considering what kind of girl I am.
I love the time I spend getting to know myself and my Maker, but I seem to grow tired of the concept of same. It’s like showing up at work on a day when you it just snowed in the mountains (I live near the Rockies, nice to meet you.)
Therefore.
I’ve decided to date. You know, add some spice to this rice.
I WANT to put effort into my relationship with God.
I WANT to get to know Him.
I WANT to fall in love with Him.
And I’m a believer in taking on shared responsibility when it comes to the creativity or surprise of a good date, showing that I care through details, subtleties, and of course by any means of adventure or physical activity.
So with my human brain chemistry, let me try to think in more heavenly frequencies. How do I get to know Someone who exists in Spirit and Truth, but who, let’s be real, I can’t physically see, feel, touch, or sometimes even hear. This could literally be blind dating…
I am going to tell you now about some date ideas I’ve already tried and some I’m thinking of testing out. Thinking of pinning this later…;)
– My favorite this month is the beach run. The spontaneous down pour run has adequate potential too.
– I love waking up to a song in my head that’s about Him.
– The evening pedal bike rocking a headlamp in true World Race style is always a good choice.
– I appreciate the polite and romantic Q and A used when getting to know someone.
– Also the pointed Q and A is good practice for trust to be built.
– A good old strong cup of coffee whilst being spiritually present to Him never fails.
– Eye contact is always a good idea (yes, this exists on a spiritual level I’ve come to know).
– Trying to be present through sleeping in doesn’t usually work out for us, our couple dynamic seems rather… unconscious.
– Singing/spiritual karaoke (wink wink Asia) is pretty freeing, have to work on my harmonies though, sorry to my teammates…
– I am forever a student and love when He teaches and shows me something. Love. It.
– Group dates. So fun. So authentic. I’ve had plenty of these on the Race. Me, Him, and good friends, new friends, funny friends, sarcastic friends, adventurous friends.
– I’m all about moments. So a good moment in the midst of a day is noticed and special to me.
– A strong worded argument and it’s resolution seems to deepen intimacy, trust, and necessitate honesty. He can keep up with my ability to slice and dice, AKA my blunt side.
– I really love photography. I love capturing authentic un-posed moments because of their depth and truth of beauty and emotion. I love showing someone the proof of how good they look, I like capturing them in their element and in moments that mean something to them but first having to figure out what moments those are. So I love anything to do with my camera and the great outdoors or great people, because I feel like it’s something Him and I can do together.
– I plan to try the solid choice of a picnic, but I want to get the lighting just right.
I also have come across some dependable ways to bomb a date:
– Not showing up.
– Being distracted.
– Complaining the whole time.
– Having the third wheels of jealousy, disrespect, or selfishness tag along.
– Incorporating bad manners like talking the whole time and not involving Him in conversation.
– Smelling bad.
And the almost-bomb-but-saveable-date:
– Sweating profusely over Indian food and those repercussions… Saveable because it makes for a funny story.
I could keep going, but I’d rather make a point.
I have learned that quality time is the main way in which I receive love. I am still unsure the main way I express it, but considering how I am falling in love with Him and not yet in love, I think this is right where I need to be. I have learned that our relationship is more functional when I enjoy it. I have learned that I am loving Him well when I spend time with Him in atypical ways.
I’m excited for more dates. I’m excited to take Him out, to surprise Him, to find new adventures, new sights, sounds, tastes. I’m excited to dress up for Him, on the outside of course, but also to know and feel the beauty He has created on the inside. I’m excited to do things differently, to make our relationship our own. And I’m really pumped for the day I’ll fall in love.
And every once in a while, I’ll sit in a chair with my brown leather Bible and really like that kind of stay home and sit together kind of date too.
