Romance From a New Perspective

It has been quite a long time since I have blogged about romance. Once upon a time, it used to be my hottest topic. There was a time long ago when I wrote post after post about romance, with topics ranging from purity to temptation to dating. A lot has happened since the days that romance and dating were the hot topics here on my blog.

I'm very proud to say that the lovely lady in my profile picture is my beautiful girlfriend Abby. We've been going out since May 13th. We were good friends for a few months and I asked her to go to prom with me as just friends. But of course, as time went on, we didn't stay "just friends." As we got closer and closer to prom, we began to hang out more and more. I loved being around her because she was sweet, kind, loving, loyal, smart, mature, Godly, and so beautiful. She was a really good friend and we could just talk the day away. And a few weeks before prom, I began to realize I was developing a little crush. That crush kept growing, and I decided that I would tell no one about it until God gave me a peace about it. After holding on to it for a few weeks, my feelings intensified like crazy and I felt such a weird peace about her. It was this crazy weird peace that I had only felt about a few other things in life. I prayed and prayed about a relationship with her and just felt God nudging me in that direction.

I planned on talking to her dad first because I have a great relationship with him and because he's my youth pastor. But the night before prom, we were out shopping for Mother's Day together and we were trying to agree on a good place for dinner. Neither one of us wanted to make a decision (a problem that's never gone away) so we were throwing suggestions out. As we passed an O'Charley's, I suggested it and she said, "I like O'Charley's!" In that moment, I thought "Well, I like you!" and I just caught myself before blurting it out. I began to laugh at the awkwardness that had almost just happened and she of course wanted to know what was so funny. I told her that I had thought of something but couldn't say it because it would make things awkward. She apparently thought it was just a perverted or dumb joke or something, so for the next hour, she was constantly asking me to tell her what it was. I promised I would tell her later. So when we got in the car after dinner, she wanted to know then and there what I had thought. I told her it was just too awkward but she insisted on knowing. When we got to our destination, I told her that I liked her, and after a few awkward moments, she told me that she liked me too. That was music to my ears! I was so scared that she might not like me.

On the next time, prom was so awkward and wonderful at the same time! We had so much fun and despite the awkwardness of us liking each other and wanting to be romantic but we couldn't because we were still just friends, I have many good memories of the night. It was such a special and magical night! Two days after prom, I asked her to be my girlfriend while our families were out to lunch and we became "Facebook official", as we've come to say it nowadays. And that is our beginning! It's the start of a wonderful and amazing journey, one that I hope with my whole heart will never end.

Now the reason I share this is because some time ago, Abby challenged me to write about romance from the perspective and the experience I now have. She pointed out to me that all of my previous posts on romance are great, but I wrote them from inexperience. I had never been in a real relationship, and so as great as they are, I believe you do have to take the advice I gave with a little bit of salt. Now the parts about what the Bible says, such as what I wrote about pre-marital sex and all that? That hasn't changed, and it shouldn't ever change. What the Bible has to say about sex and temptation is timeless. But I'll be honest: I wrote the majority of my posts on dating back when I was immature and slightly legalistic.

As I have matured and been in a relationship since then, I can look back and see how foolish and indignant I was. Thankfully, I have matured a lot since the start of the year, and especially since I've had a girlfriend to keep me in line. But now I see things a little bit differently now and some of my opinions and standards have changed. I'd love to share with you my new perspectives and opinions, so if you're interested, make sure you remember to check back early next week for my next post!