I was going to laud spring in this GemLight but when I realized the publish date would be March 17, I figured I had better change my mind -- with God's approval. It was on that day in 1973 Dorcas and I had our first date.

We went out to the hoagie shop in Green Lane, Pennsylvania. The shop was just a couple of miles from the school we were attending, Northeast Bible Institute (NBI).

A series of providential occurrences led to this event. A former young lady and I had amiably discontinued going steady in December 1972 since she had felt it was God's will to end the relationship. I had actually first met Dorcas the next month when her car doors were frozen shut and I got her a bucket of warm water from the cafeteria kitchen to thaw them out. However, I had no idea I would be dating her about two months later.

In the meantime, I dated other young ladies and, in one case, one dated me. I'll save that for another devotional. Nonetheless for one reason or another the contacts did not continue -- until Dorcas and I went to that hoagie shop.

After we had the meal we headed back to campus and got back to work. At that point, I still thought of dating other young ladies. However, when NBI held their annual spring banquet, I took Dorcas.

As we kept meeting each other I sensed a peace that I had met my wife-to-be. We are now married and only physical death dissolves that bond. However, there is a relationship that anyone can have that can last forever, and that, of course, is with God through Christ.

In one sense, God is trying to date you every day. The call of Hebrews 4:7, "Today if ye will hear his voice, harden not your hearts," can be applied to all people. Even though we are steeped in sin, God earnestly desires to redeem us: (God desires to)"...have all men to be saved, and to come unto the knowledge of the truth. For there is one God, and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus; Who gave himself a ransom for all, to be testified in due time." 1 Tim. 2:4-6

There is an abundance of Holy Scripture the shows salvation means for us to completely commit to God through Christ. And no greater love has ever been demonstrated than what Jesus did by taking our sin and the punishment for our sin. This is true love. It will last forever if you let it.