On Pursuit

Who doesn't love a good pursuit story?  The "How We Met" stories that have the guy pursuing the girl patiently, kindly, but intentionally.  Even if it was simply sitting beside her at Bible study, or in a cafeteria enough times before worked up the courage to ask her out.  One of my personal favorites are the totally unforeseen pursuit stories.  My best friend was the one to initially ask her now-husband out—but at the time it was just to "talk shop about robotics."  What can I say, I'm friends with a ton of nerds.  Turns out though, her initiating that with those legit reasons (he wasn't on her radar like at ALL, trust me), gave him the opportunity to go out with her one on one.  Because he'd noticed her months prior. 

In my recent scrollings, there've been a few articles that've cropped up about dating and all that jazz, and the one word that keeps coming up is Pursuit.  I'm all for that and refuse to settle for me putting in all the effort/communication/initiation.  But we have to watch that hard and fast rule of not settling for a guy who won't pursue.  Not that I've been on any dates in months...BUT. 
Think about something here.  Turn the whole dating/pursuit/not-settling ideas inside out with me. 
A relationship takes equal partnership.  Don't say "duh" yet. ( And I know, I know any relationship/marriage isn't 50/50 100% of the time.  But there needs to be committment.  Okay.  Digression over.)This also means equal pursuit.  We need to be available to be pursued, but we also need to put in effort.  To be open and honest from the get go—and really get to know the guy.  Which often involves hard questions, listening, and above all?  Kindness. 
Just think of how God pursues us, and wants us to do the same back to Him.  Even when we go AWOL or try to hide our little messes, thinking He can't possibly want us at our worst?  He wants to be there for us, actively loving every facet of our hearts.  Even the work in progress parts.  God's pursuit is the only one that will be truly relentless.  Better than the stuff of all the romance novels ever written.