Perusin’ — man, that’s a fun word, ain’t it! — perusin’ my pics the other day I was lookin’ back at some younger versions of the prettiest gal on the planet and the luckiest guy that ever lived. That got me thinkin’ about how we got here.

Yeah, rainbows and unicorns and fairy dust and all that. You know the drill. Throw in a fairy godmother and a wicked witch and… hey, no, that was a movie or three we may have watched on a date night.

“Date night.” In my early 20s I didn’t even know what that term meant, other than “do you have a date tonight.” Let’s face it: long-term planning meant savin’ up enough to go to a convention, or thinkin’ about whether to put the frozen burrito in the microwave or leave it out to save a minute on the cook time. (Don’t judge. It worked most of the time.)

Then a few somethings happened. A real 9to5 (ish) job showed up — the kind that required actual planning and less sick time from unplanned burrito-borne illnesses — and I met someone. “Me” became “we.” After work wasn’t as spontaneous. Weekends needed logistics. And I couldn’t be happier.

A few years, a ring, a pile of family and responsibility, and a kid in the mix. Our calendars looked like somethin’ Franklin Covey himself needed to arrange. But it was worth it. We had less time to ourselves than ever — and that time got more valuable.

Our bond’s grown stronger over the past quarter century through Him and each other. There’s still Toni and Cec. But US has been the bigger part of either of our lives, and that part’s stayin’.

God never promises easy. Heck, a lot of the time it’s the opposite. He does promise to be there with us. It’s not an accident Song of Songs is in the book — a whole stretch of Scripture that says you’re allowed to tell each other how you feel. And when Jesus talks about a man leavin’ his father and mother and bein’ joined to his wife, He isn’t only talkin’ about a ceremony. He’s talkin’ about the decision you keep makin’ after the burrito years, the diapers, and the calendar that ate date night.

Just a thought from a guy that had to change where his date day was planned for yesterday due to pourin’ rain — but not who his date was with.

Bible Verses

Song of Songs 2 / Mark 10:7-9

Questions

How do you handle “Date Night” in your family ???