Read Online Boy Meets Girl - Say Hello to Courtship by Joshua Harris - Free Book Online Page A

fact, he still often wondered what Mr. Richardson had meant when he said, "Don't take her first answer." Should he give it a second try? Would he risk losing her friendship?
    As he contemplated these things, David was surprised to realize that he wasn't anxious. God had been changing him. Even though he wasn't always aware of it, even though he sometimes felt as if his life were on hold, God had been steadily doing an important work in his heart. The guy who loved to have his "ducks in a row" had grown to trust God more than his own meticulous planning. The guy who longed for marriage was now bringing his requests to God with joy and thankfulness instead of desperation or complaining.
    A key encouragement to him was Philippians 4:6-7:
    Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your
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    requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.
    Now his prayers about courtship and marriage were very different. God, I don't want to be anxious about this area of my life, he would pray. I present my requests to You. I'd like to get married, and You know whom I'm interested in. But I'm trusting Your Word, which says that Your peace, which transcends understanding, will guard my heart. I want Your peace, not the peace I attempt to create.
    One day on his hour-long commute to Baltimore, David prayed, God, what's your timing for me to pursue a relationship?
    As he prayed, David suddenly realized that it was the first time he wasn't assuming that he knew who the girl was going to be. He had finally let go. "For me, it was evidence that God was transforming me," he says. "I prayed, Lord, I need you to help me to determine who just as much as when and how."
    The Right Time in the Windy City
    For David and Claire, the right thing at the right time came together on a trip to Chicago. They went with twenty-five other young adults to serve a newly planted church and do outreach in the city.
    The night before he left, David and his parents got into a conversation that turned unexpectedly to marriage. His dad and mom asked him when he felt he would pursue a girl. They lovingly challenged him not to hold back because of fear. "Son," his dad said, "I think you need to get going!"
    "Get going!" With those words ringing in his ears, the next day David and the rest of the group flew to Chicago. Was God speaking through his parents and telling him that it was time to move?
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    One evening in Chicago he started talking to Amy and Nicole, two girls he'd been friends with since high school. To his surprise the conversation turned to the topic of marriage. "So when are you thinking about pursuing someone?" they asked, giggling at their own nosiness. Amy and Nicole had no idea the weight their next statement carried. "David, you know we care about you. Well, we really just feel that you should get going!"
    David could hardly believe that his two friends were echoing the exact words of his parents. He began to tell them that he was content. He was really at peace and not in a hurry. As he talked, David realized the significance of what he was saying. He actually meant what he was saying! He really was content. He really was at peace.
    And suddenly, in the midst of this God-given peace, David sensed that God was telling him the time had come to try again.
    One More Try
    David picked the last night of the trip to act. The group was walking through downtown Chicago. David wanted to time his conversation with Claire to happen as they walked across a bridge over the Chicago River. He kept to the back of the group and to his delight found that Claire was walking there too.
    When they reached the bridge, he asked, "Claire, can I talk with you for a minute?"
    "Sure," she answered. He seemed so serious.
    They slowed their pace and let the others get ahead of them so they could have some privacy
    "Gosh, I can't believe I'm doing