let's get it started

within the span of 12 hrs, ive heard two separate accounts of how two couples got tog. one is a 3-mth old story & the other a 3-day old one.

both tales are rather different but there are common lessons (& then some) to be drawn...

1. the guys in both cases were natural in developing the friendship and were bold enough to step up the game

2. both stories were marked by mutual reciprocity - meaning the girls were responsive & didnt play games or pretend. which made it easier for the guys to be open about their feelings.

3. you really cant predict or match up couples in your head. cos who you expect them to end up with cld be very different from what materialises at the end of the day. function of opportunity & timing. and the fact that the heart just likes who it does... not always rational to the bystander or even the person involved!

4. the guy who act first is likely to win the dame vs the guy who hams & haws. sometimes, doing the bold thing just might tip the balance in your favour if the girl is choosing between two good men. [of cos there are no guarantees that she wont reject you - she might be waiting for that other guy, but its worth the shot]

5. its not true that all arpc men are not forthright. a handful are. but even those that are need the ladies to drop massive boulders of hints, hold up bright shiny neon signs before the men feel comfortable enough to risk the confession. comeon, the guys themselves admit it. but hint dropping is so not my forte, we'll leave that for others to expound on :)

on reflection, what rang in my head after learning all this is the passage in Ecclesiastes

There is a time for everything,
and a season for every activity under heaven:

a time to be born and a time to die,
a time to plant and a time to uproot,

a time to kill and a time to heal,
a time to tear down and a time to build,

a time to weep and a time to laugh,
a time to mourn and a time to dance,

a time to scatter stones and a time to gather them,
a time to embrace and a time to refrain,

a time to search and a time to give up,
a time to keep and a time to throw away,

a time to tear and a time to mend,
a time to be silent and a time to speak,

a time to love and a time to hate,
a time for war and a time for peace.

So, in this arena of likes & loves there is...

a time to reveal, a time to conceal
a time to be vulnerable, a time to guard your heart
a time to hold on, a time to let go

relationships need time to grow. both need to be ready for the commitment, for the plunge into the unknown. timing is so very important - you shdnt be too late or too early.

may God grant us wisdom as we try to navigate through this maze of love & rships. let His priorities guide our words, thoughts & actions.