Monday, July 28, 2008

How St. Louis Teaches Courtship


I’m doing it again. Reading another pre-relationship book. (I have to admit it’s easier reading these now compared to post-relationship) This one caught my eye -sigh-because there was a rather cute girl on the cover. I know, I know. You’re not supposed to judge a book by its cover but, as always is the case, it was a combination of the eyes/smile that got my attention.
Either way, I’m about 60 pages in and I’m kind of shocked that I have not heard of this book? It is by Dr. Don Raunikar (It doesn’t ring as well as Harris or Ludy) and it is entitled: Choosing God’s Best. It was written back in the 90’s so the stats are a little outdated but I was surprised at how immersed I was in the book.

There were two illustrations that have really resonated with me and I wanted to share them because I know I’m not the only one who tends to be a little jaded in the relationship department (Just probably the only one stupid enough to admit it in public)

The first was the story of a truck, which didn’t heed the height signs while trying to go through a tunnel. The truck hit the tunnel at 20 MPH and got lodged in so deep that no amount of reverse or tugging would work. A little kid stood by and had an idea but decided it would be best to keep his distance. Let the grown ups handle it. 8 HRS later the kid came back and saw the grown-ups still struggling with the truck. They were about to take a saw to the top of the truck and just cut her out when the little kid ran up and screamed: “WHY DON’T YOU JUST LET THE AIR OUT OF THE TIRES?”

The moral of the story: sometimes the simplest answer is the simplest solution. I have been on the receiving end of conflicting advice and I have to admit it was the hardest thing for me to wade through. Especially when it came to people I cared about, maybe even loved. Yet, I also find that when people “coach” me on the subject of why I’m still single I find myself going back to the simplest answer. I’m just not hitting the wall at 20 MPH. I’ll find my own route, which keeps me away from any jams. This leads into the second story.

The Arch in St. Louis was built from the base up, both sides of it. They say that if the builders were off by just a 1/64 of a centimeter, when the time came for the two sides to make the arch, they would not meet at the center but pass each other. It wouldn’t have been the Arch.
The moral of the story: build the base, with a firm foundation, and the meeting will take place eventually. If the firm foundation just happens to line up with, let’s say: “Everyone then who hears these words of mine and does them will be like a wise man who built his house on the rock.” (Matthew 7:24 ESV) Dr. Raunikar’s point in the book so far is to ask us to abandon what we deem as our norm and attempt to look at things with a heavenly perception. Especially when it comes to the opposite sex. As one person says in the book: “Any guy with his ear to God’s mouth wouldn’t be scared by it.”

0 comments:

"Enter by the narrow gate. For the gate is wide and the way is easy that leads to destruction, and those who enter by it are many. For the gate is narrow and the way is hard that leads to life, and those who find it are few." Matthew 7:13-14