This
week in class we discussed dating. Everyone’s favorite topic. Studying at Brigham
University – Idaho, I feel that this is something that we hear about all the
time. Either in devotionals, church, classes or even just around campus. That
being said, I feel your pain in having to hear it again, but please bear with
me. Once again, this is just based on my personal thoughts and beliefs.
I’ve
personally had a very interesting dating experience. My family has often told
me I should write a blog or book about my experiences, because they’re just so
crazy. Thankfully I won’t be doing that here, but rather just sharing my
thoughts on the topic and what we learned over this last week.
It
seems to me that the concept of actual dating is a dying art. People just don’t
seem to date anymore. We hang out. Rather than plan time spent together, we
tend to just never leave the other person alone and spend all our time with
them.
Often
when one of my roommates is dating someone, it feels like we have an extra
roommate, because her boyfriend is always over at our apt. I have nothing
against them being there, but it has often caused me to ponder on how vastly
different the world of dating is from that of our parent’s generation.
One
of the things we discussed in class is the four steps of dating.
1.
Dating – Lots of activities with a variety or people
2.
Courtship – Serious, exclusive dating to determine if you’re compatible for
marriage.
3.
Engagement – Promise of Marriage. Keep Dating
4.
Marriage – Teamwork based on friendship. Keep Dating.
In
our parents’ or grandparent’s generations, this was the pattern that most
seemed to follow. It was their culture. They took each step one at a time and
didn’t slide from one to the next. However, in ours’ we tend to seamlessly move
from one to the next. It’s considered normal to plan a wedding before you’re
even officially engaged or officially boyfriend/girlfriend. Today’s dating
culture doesn’t appear to have any set lines or steps to follow. Dating shouldn’t
be a race into romance, but rather a carefully considered decision regarding
your future.
We
all seem to be in love with the idea of love. I think that rather than race
headlong into relationships, we ought to take the time to prayerfully consider
what we want n our relationships, and what we need to do in our dating habits
to reach it.