Hey everyone! My name is Melissa Kelly and I am a senior at Avon Grove High School. There are many different views on dating and on good relationships. This is how it was for me. I have only ever had one boyfriend. We had been good friends for about 3 years. Then last year I asked him to my junior prom and he said yes. I guess you could say that’s when things really started between us. We grew closer in our friendship and last June we started dating. We are both Christians and from the beginning we wanted God in the center of our relationship, and He was! Things were going well. All though we had the title of dating we saw ourselves as each other’s best friend.

Now about a year before all this, my dad had passed away. This was a very hard time for me but I knew God had a purpose for all this. When we became better friends, and after my dad passed away, I noticed a lot of the same qualities my dad had, were in him as well. He was just a caring and all around good person. We went out for 3 months and than it was pretty much a mutual decision that we just wanted to be friends. Things had started to change between us and we missed the old friendship we had. Our friendship meant more to us than us dating, so we decided we would just be best friends. I guess you could say I thought we were going to be together forever. I always wanted the person I took to prom to be my first boyfriend. And I wanted my first boy friend to be the one I married. It has been really hard on me, and even now, as friends we, have had our ups and downs. But I honestly believe nothing can come between us. He brought out the best in me and we enjoyed our time together. God really taught us a lot and He still is. I was really hurt for a long time but I knew everything would work out…but it was just so hard. There are many different ways to look at what has happened between us, but what I really think happened was that God brought him into my life when he was most needed, which was after my dad passed away. Now, he was not taking my dad’s place by any means-no one could ever do that. He was just there to support me and help me when I really needed someone there. But it wasn’t just him, it was all God too. I truly believe that God places certain people in your life for a reason and this was his reason. He had truly helped me cope with lose of my dad. He had been there helping me deal with not having my dad around, but now that we were just friends I felt like I was losing someone else. But I wasn’t, I was being taught a life long lesson and I was gaining a life long friend. By us not dating this allowed me to focus more on my dad, and my own feelings. Now that I look back on it I grew a lot stronger in myself and in my faith, because I realized I didn’t have to rely on him.

Now I am not going to lie I miss that feeling of just knowing you had someone there. But I know that we are doing what God wants. God has plans for both of us but for right now were just good friends and that’s how it should be. There’s a quote that was kind of our quote. It says: Some people come and go in our lives but it’s the special few that come in and leave footprints in our hearts, and we are changed forever. That was him. He made a difference in my life. He will always have a special place in my heart. Philippians 1:3 says, “every time you cross my mind, I break out in exclamations of thanks to God…”Now every time I think about him, and what we had, I just take a moment and pray for him. I am so thankful for our friendship he is a gift from God.

Now I am focusing more on God, and what he is doing in my life. The relationship you have between yourself and God is the most important, and every other relationship should come after that. That’s the only real relationship you need. In God’s timing, he will bring that one into your life; God’s timing is always perfect. I guess I just wanted what my parents had. –A wonderful happy marriage. And I will get that. Just not right now but when Gods ready. You just have to trust him and have patience. I think it is very important to date someone you have been friends with for a good amount of time. You both should be right with God and make sure you are doing what God wants for the both of you. Pray about it and see where God leads you. If he leads you in the “dating” direction, I am sure there is going to be a reason for it. Everything happens for a reason. If that’s not what God wants for you-to date that person then he will make it evident. When God shuts a door he always opens a window. Christ should always be in the center of your relationship and if he’s not than you need to pray about it. Yea it is nice to have someone there, but God is even better. He loves you unconditionally. Let God be God, and let Him lead your life. Just trust Him and He will bring that person into your life. Sometimes just being good friends is the way to go. Maybe God wants us to meet a few wrong people before meeting the right one so when we finally do we will know how to be thankful.

I along with all of you just have to wait for God. He really does know what he is doing. Just trust Him and enjoy life and your relationship with him. When God’s ready you will be too. Dating does impact you life. It changes you and prepares you for marriage. But I think you should only date if that’s what God tells you is right. So in conclusion, I just would encourage all of you who are thinking about dating and who are dating to just be in a constant state of prayer. Talk to God about it he knows what’s best for you! Proverbs 16:34 says, “Commit to the Lord, whatever you do, and your plans will succeed. He works everything out for his own ends.” And Jeremiah 29:11 says, “For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord. “Plans to prosper, not to harm you. Plans to give you a future and a hope. Thanks and God Bless!