Falling in love
I don't believe in falling in love. I never have.
Funny, isn't it, coming from a hopeless romantic (or, as Yvonne would put it, "hopeful romantic")? But I don't believe in falling in love. I do believe that love can creep up on you when you're not looking -- but I also believe that you can see it coming if you keep your eyes open.
I've seen it happen to other people. You spend lots of time with each other, exchange stories, share deep thoughts, create memories, and if you're unwary, an emotional attachment begins to form. Before you know it, you're in love.
For that reason I've always been very careful in all my interactions with people of the opposite sex. Not because I fear the emotion, but because I don't want to underestimate its power. Once you get emotionally involved with someone, it's much easier to think with your heart rather than your head. I'm convinced this is why some Christians choose to marry people of other faiths and why some spouses commit adultery. They've been unwary, developed emotional attachments to a person, and by the time they're aware of their folly, it's extremely difficult to fight the tide of passion.
I want to choose the person I fall in love with. I don't really know whether this is entirely possible. Certainly I believe in attraction and that mysterious thing called "chemistry" -- being on the same wavelength, understanding each other beyond words, "clicking". But I also believe that one is responsible for one's decisions and/or reactions. In other words, I can control myself if I want to. I think.
Of course, I've yet to meet anyone whom I'm irresistibly drawn to. I suppose if I did, my theory would really be tested! I mean, if I were to meet some guy with major charisma who charmed me and swept me off my feet, I'm not sure if I'd be able to be so logical and pragmatic then ;) Still, I'd like to think I would keep my head and continue guarding my heart. I don't want to have that fragile organ treated like a plaything and get shattered by some callous, selfish jerk.
As you can see, I take love pretty seriously. Some of my friends (and readers of this blog) think I'm entirely too uptight about love. But to me it makes sense to be careful about whom I entrust my heart to. I can say with surety that I've never been in love before. Not even once. But I'm definitely looking forward to the experience... once I find someone whom I know will cherish my heart and of whom God says, "Yes."