Ah, the blind date. Just the mere thought sends chills down the spines of some, while others’ ears perk up. It’s one thing to have friends who offer to set you up on a blind date with someone they know from work, church, or their neighborhood, but it’s an entirely different ballgame to ask your friends to set you up.
Should you even do that? Tell them that you want their help in the blind date department? Doesn’t that seem needy or desperate? Or is your silence and—let’s be honest—your pride keeping you at home on a Friday night?
SingleRoots Writers Say…
For wise counsel, we asked some of our SingleRoots alumni writers to weigh in on the matter. Here’s what they had to say:
“When I completed graduate school 4 years ago I prayed and carefully concerned my decision on where to apply for jobs. I decided God was leading back to my home state where I had mentors, friends, and family who were all believers and supported me through various stages in life. After deciding to move closer to home I also purposefully decided to invite these closest mentors, friends and family into my dating life and future hopes for marriage.
I wrote each of them and invited to ask me tough questions about my dating decisions, to consider my strengths and areas for growth in how I related to brothers in Christ, to continue praying for me, and lastly to consider me as they come across godly men.
The results of these messages means it hasn’t been awkward or uncomfortable for these loved ones to ask me about my dating life, set me up on blind dates, or tell me that they just haven’t come across someone yet. It makes me feel so cared for to have people tell me they are considering my request and desire to be married in their day to day lives. I am not walking this road alone and they are “in it with me”.
::Amy Johnson, author of How I Learned to Start Trusting God
“I think this depends more on how well the people know you that are setting you up. If you’re in close community with them and you trust them…why not? If you pay an online dating service to match you based on questions to surveys, why not try utilizing friends with your best interest in mind?”
::Brandon Howard, author of Do Christians Need Better Branding?
“This one is hard to answer, because based on personal experience, I would scream ‘Run away!’ If you have people that you are certain really know YOU and aren’t just out to connect you with the closest warm body of the opposite sex, then ask those folks. I’ve found that family members have the best of intentions, but come up with the worst blind dates.”
::Brooke Corcoran, author of What a Difference a Decade Makes: Thoughts on Waiting for Your Spouse
Explore the Topic Further…
For further discussion on blind dates, check out these posts:
7 Ways Married Couples Can Serve Singles in the Church – “Sometimes we want to talk about our singleness, sometimes we want to be set up on a blind date, sometimes we want to hear about how God brought you the love of your life after waiting two years, but sometimes we don’t. And we always need your encouragement, not your shame.”
It Takes a Village (or a Church) – “We hear from singles lamenting their lot all the time and some of them are adamant about not being set up by other people. No introductory dinners, no blind dates, no help from the married peanut gallery. ‘Y’all can all mind your own business, thankyouverymuch.'”
