Date God This Year

Laura Nelson maintains that in order to get closer to God, we need to spend time with Him.

When I met my husband 28 years ago, my first thought was, “He’s cute!” It wasn’t a terribly deep or even articulate thought but that’s the truth. I was first attracted to him by his appearance. He was (and still is) handsome and I liked his smile.

As we started dating, I got to know him a little at a time and I began to see what a good person he is. I could see that he was a gentle person who had integrity. He was fair to those around him and didn’t need to be the center of attention all the time. He sought out those who were on the sidelines and tried to include them in the conversation. I came to realize that I could count on him to always do the right thing.

We’ve been married now for more than 26 years and throughout that time I’ve come to know him more deeply. You could say that I’m getting better at knowing the truth of who he is; the core of his identity. I anticipate that I’ll come to know him more and more deeply over the next several decades (God willing) and as I grow in knowledge of his truth, I’ll also grow in my love for him.

As strange as it might seem, coming to know and love God more deeply is a bit like dating and marriage. Many people are first attracted to God through beauty. It may be the beauty of His Creation that leads people to be attracted to the Creator. Or it may be beauty in art or music which depicts or celebrates God that attracts them. But, attraction is only a start. To have a relationship with Him, we need to go beyond the surface.

Instead, we need to get to know Him like I got to know my husband all those years ago. We need to date God. That means spending time with Him on a regular basis, finding out more about Him, and sharing our lives with Him a little at a time. And, like I did with my husband, as we come to know God better, we will begin to see and experience His goodness through His words and deeds. You might first see it expressed in Scripture and Liturgy. But you can also look at His friends. In the Catholic Church, we call them saints. You can tell a lot about a person by looking at their friends. My husband’s friends were also good, kind people and they looked to him as an example even if they weren’t feeling particularly good at any given moment. So it is with the saints. When we get to know God’s friends, we see their goodness but we also see the way they turn to God when they feel less-than-good.

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We need to date God. That means spending time with Him on a regular basis, finding out more about Him, and sharing our lives with Him a little at a time. #catholicmom

Over the course of our relationship with God, as we continue to spend time with Him, we’ll slowly come to know the truth of who He is. The truth of His existence, His love for us, and the truth of all that He’s done to reveal Himself to us will become more and more clear. And, just as I’ve experienced with my husband over the years, you’ll find that the more you know God, the more you will love Him.

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