Inner Healing Part 3

Ok so now to the Date vs. Court issue....

Let me say right off... I Have been a Court'n fan my whole life and still am. I am one of the only girls I know who has not read "I kissed Dating Good Bye" but I have listened to my far share of teachers on the subject and read all Ludy books. I totally jumped on the courtship band wagon back when I was 15 and have been on it ever since. However I have been noticing some unhealthy trends on this band wagon. 1st in the line up, is a feeling that it is ok to feel justified in being self righteous. We "Courters" know we are more right, do it better and love God more then all those wicked "daters". Although most of us would never say that I've seen it come out from just about every one I know who "Courts" including my self. 2nd is that we begin to separate our selves form those who aren't doing it good enough, (aka Dating). Growing up I have seen a few (not a lot because I have always hung out with the more right "courters") relationships where the couple dated loved the Lord followed His leading and have an awesome marriage.(shocking I know) We are missing out on seeing God do stuff because once again we are to worried about following all the right rules then we are about following our King. 3rd We are obsessed with eliminating risk. New Flash "God created risk!" In the Garden at the beginning of time God allowed risk to be set before Adam and Eve.

Now I totally agree with what I would assume are the universal, across the board undisputable principles of modern courtship:
1. The motive of courtship is to find a spouse. It's not just for fun.
2. The man initiates.
3. Commitment precedes intimacy.

We have taken these principles and tried to define them with rules of which we all have our different set. That is just what the Pharisees and Sadducees did with the law, and in so doing missed the heart of God. We are first and foremost called to love our God with all that we are. We are called to live in relationship with Him and through our relationship with Him He guides us and directs us. I have come to a place were I feel free to go against the norm of homeschool courtship and follow were My King may lead. If tomorrow I met a godly young man in whom I see maturity and a love for the Lord above all else in his life, and he just so happens to ask me out on a date/out for coffee I would say yes. I would keep those three principles in mind and watch to see if that is were his heart is as well. Now would I like it if He talked to my Dad first? Absolutely!! But I'm not going to put him or God in a box. He may not have been raised the same way I was. If he is a man of godly character I don't want to write him off just because he didn't follow the traditions I grew up with. At 15 I would have written him off as not good enough and been very guilty of a great sin against my brother.

I've decided it's time for me to grow up and realize I don't have it all figured out. God often likes to bust our boxes and I want to be open to Him if my box needs to be busted. I have freedom in Christ to follow Him and leave behind traditions of men. (and boy it feels good!)