THE FIRST DATE
Lemuel sprayed a few whiffs of his cologne as he put finishing touches on his appearance. He looked crisp and well-groomed to perfection, if he could say so himself. He had definitely put in the work to make sure he appeared his very best for this important day of his life. He took one last long look at the mirror, adjusted a crease in his shirt, then he picked up his car keys and headed out towards the park for his "first official" date with Amara. He had wanted something fancier, but Amara had been able to convince him that it was Summer, and it was better to spend the time outdoors as they had some of the harshest winters in the world. In hindsight, he agreed that the outdoors would also give them the chance to have some much needed conversations without the thrills and distractions of some fancy place as they began their courtship journey.
A couple days ago, Amara had said yes to his proposal after a long 2 months, which felt like 2 years to him. Even though he had known Amara since childhood, the 2 months period of waiting had kept him in suspense, as he had great trepidations concerning the outcome of his proposal. They had been neighbors since he was 5 years old; their parents had developed a cordial relationship and soon became family friends. They also went to the same high school in Nigeria where he was 2 classes ahead of her, and often played the role of big brother, warding off the meanest bullies. Shortly after he finished high school, his family had relocated to Sweden and he lost touch with Amara although their parents still kept in touch.
Sometime last year, his mum had mentioned to him that Amara was arriving Sweden to undertake her master's degree, and her mum had requested their assistance to settle her in the country. A task he was very much ready to take up. Coincidentally, he had been praying at the time concerning his choice of a life partner, and as his mum talked with him that day, he had a conviction that the answer to his prayers was here.
They settled in into an area of the park, besides a stream and ate the takeout Lemuel had picked up on the way. They both had a love for Chinese fried rice, so it wasn't difficult to agree on the menu for the day. They chatted about work, and Amara had narrated her preparations for her upcoming dissertation. As the evening wore on, the conversation became deeper and drifted towards talk of their new journey.
As Lemuel talked on, half interested in the conversation and half mesmerized by the sheer beauty and gracefulness of the woman in front of him, he watched as Amara pulled out a tiny pamphlet from her bag. He briefly caught the title of the book as she turned to the first page
"100 questions to ask - a guide for the Christian lady in courtship"
Lemuel immediately broke out into a sweat. His sense of unease was not doused by the sweet and almost reassuring smile Amara gave him.
The first question was a breeze; they both shared the same faith and were deeply rooted in their Christian walk. Lemuel still remembered the day he gave his life to Christ. He had always grown up around scriptures - His parents were exemplary Christians. In fact, his mother had named him after the less-popular Proverbs 31 man, King Lemuel, whose mother had exhorted him about righteous living fit for a king. His mother never failed to remind him about the origin of his name. The first time he was offered alcohol at a classmates party when he was 16, the words of King Lemuel's mother came alive to him as though spoken directly to him;
It is not for kings, O Lemuel, to guzzle wine. Rulers should not crave alcohol. Alcohol is for the dying, and wine for those in bitter distress. Let them drink to forget their poverty and remember their troubles no more.
Proverbs 31:4, 6-7 (NLT)
He definitely wasn't dying and had no bitter distress, which was why at age 28, he had never had a taste of alcohol. However, it wasn't until he left home for a one year exchange program in Australia in his third year of university that he realized he was just a non-alcohol drinking "good boy" who depended on his parents' faith but did not have any serious personal relationship with God. His exchange year certainly did him good. He did not only come back from Australia with a new certificate, he came back also with a new life - the kind Paul talked about in 2 Corinthians 5:17
This means that anyone who belongs to Christ has become a new person. The old life is gone; a new life has begun! - 2 Corinthians 5:17 (NLT)
The second question was also easy. He had spent a lot of time sharing his convictions with her about his decision to do life together with her. It was not one he had taken lightly - it was birthed out of much prayers and guidance. So Amara moved on to the next question:
"Lemuel, what is your purpose in life?"
Lemuel broke out into sweat again, this time more intense than the first as he began to gather his most intense thoughts together.
Later that week, as the young men sat around circles in their fellowship meeting after the Sunday service, an anonymous question was asked - "how can a Christian discover purpose?"
To be continued
Comments