Metaphorically speaking, I am in an arranged marriage for the next 12-18 months. We both, for different reasons, are committed to being in a certain place for a minimum timeframe, and it is necessary that we interact. There are others, still in a formative life stage, in that place and time with us, and for their sakes, we are careful about keeping our misunderstandings and disagreements away from the workplace. I am the only factor in the situation that can be removed, yet I’m under a very clear directive to stay and walk through this adventure. It’s a growth opportunity for all involved, and an opportunity for God to show off His sustaining, encouraging, and even disciplining grace.
To that end, and in keeping with the metaphor, I am following the ‘Love Dare’ book from the movie ‘Fireproof’. Today was day one, an avoidance dare, and I nearly slipped once but was caught in the split second, just in time to reframe my words, keeping them honest yet positive.
I’ll walk through this a day at a time, and will do my best to give a daily report of progress. I won’t, however, be declaring the details of the book – the folks who worked on it invested much, and are worth their fair royalties. You’ll have to pick up your own copy, or do as I did and borrow someone else’s.
I don’t really expect we’ll be sharing hugs, drinks, and a round of KumBaYah when it’s all said and done, but at the very least, I will have honored God, been an example (for good or ill) to others in rough circumstances, and learned something more about this long-craved and somewhat romanticized thing called “committed relationship”.
One thought on “Love Dare – Day 1”
Comments are closed.