After five and a half years of dating, I really got to know Dirk.
But getting to know him took time. It took patience, and it
began with an invitation. After our art class God kept finding
ways for Dirk and me to run into each other. First we were both
selected to go on a special leadership retreat for school. Then
we ended up together in the same computer class. Eventually
we ended up spending more and more time together.
As God began developing our friendship, one night Dirk
decided to call me at home to ask a question. He wanted to
know if I would like to go to the winter dance with him. Of
course I responded with an excited, “Yes,” and our friendship
went from being friends to liking each other to Dirk officially
asking me to date him exclusively just a few months later. Each
step along the path, our commitment grew stronger and
stronger the more we spent time with one another.
Really getting to know each other took time. It took patience. It
took hours of opening up and talking, being real and letting our
guards down. Over the course of the next five and a half years,
we spent hours investing in each other. We stayed up late
talking on the phone until my mom said it was time to hang up.
Then we spent hours writing notes to give each another the
next day at school.
As high school ended and college began, we decided to go to
nearby colleges so we could at least spend time together on
the weekends, and yes, occasionally we couldn’t help but meet
for dinner in the middle of the week. Even when life was busy,
assignments were plentiful, and stress was high, we still made
time for each other.
Getting to really know Jesus takes time too. It takes changing