Boys. . .

Ah. A girl's favorite subject, no?

Ready to learn about one of the things that makes me unique?

I don't date.

Yes, I am a (almost) 16 year-old that has never dated and doesn't plan on dating for a while.

And yes, I am aware that this makes me seem like a unicorn.

I've been asked why too many times by friends, adults, and even my own family. And I always feel kind of stupid when I answer them. Like I'm just strange for not having the desire to date. That I should have that desire like every other "normal" teenager. For a while, this led me to that path of "why don't I have a boyfriend?". Which all of you girls know is not fun to go down. But after some prayer and soul searching, the realization finally dawned upon me.

I'm not a typical teenager.

At least in matters of the heart, soul, and morals. I do have a sloppy room, I don't always get along with my parents, and I eat. . . All. The. Time.

But really. I kind of get the sense from God that at this moment on earth, I'm not meant to be dating. I'm here for something far more important and dating would only get in the way. What that important thing is yet, I've no idea.

So, I'll share my five reasons for not dating with you.

1) I've never been approached by a guy. Ever. No pick-up-lines, no flirting. Nothing. Nada. Zilch. Which is really okay with me. I find flirting to be rather awkward anyway. I asked my mom and my best friend why they thought no one had attempted to flirt with me before. And they both agreed that I give off a certain air to guys that if they aren't serious, they better not even attempt to mess with me. Which I find to be a gift and a curse at the same time.

2) And as an add-on to One, I don't flirt. Like I said, I think it's awkward. And I'm awkward enough on my own without trying to impress a guy. I'm not forward. I don't approach guys. I personally think that it's the man's job to seek out a woman and try to blossom a friendship into a relationship. So I find that quietly crushing and waiting for him to seek me out is better. Because if he comes to me, we're both ready. If I run in head first, I will be but he won't be into it because it wasn't his idea.

3) I don't have the desire to be in a typical "high school romance". Call me old-fashioned, but dating is really for finding the man or woman that you want to marry. Why would you spend time in a relationship when you know that it's not going to last past graduation? Why set yourself up for heartbreak when you attend seperate colleges across the state and slowly drift apart? Maybe other girls are strong enough for that, but I don't think that my heart could handle it.

4) God hasn't awakened that desire deep in my heart. In Song of Songs, a woman warns other women to wait for God to stir up love in their lives, that He'll do that when they are ready. God simply hasn't put it on my heart to really want to date. He knows that I'm not ready to be in a relationship with anyone until our relationship is stronger.

And finallly. . .

5) The right guy hasn't come along yet. Now, believe me I have so many fantastic guys in my life right now. I cherish them all as dear friends. But I haven't found anyone who I would really want to date. Either I haven't met him or I just haven't looked hard enough. I have faith that God is going to bring the right guy into my life when the timing is perfect. I'm not saying that the first guy I ever date will be the one I end up marrying. The odds of that are very small. But each time a new guy comes into my life, God will have a purpose for the time that we will spend together.

So until the above circumstances change, I love being single. Dating is a beautiful thing, as long as it's treated right. My best friend and I love sitting in the mall watching couples go by. We really do. We "stalk" the cute couples at church and eat ice cream as we moan over our single-dom. But God has a plan, He always does.

So now you know one of the things that makes me unique.

:)

~Rebekah

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