Faith

Real Scientific Evidence, Chapter Twelve A Date Invitation

by Lauren Alan
04/07/16
Free to Share
Author requests article critique

  Message Writer
  Hire Writer

Tweet

After Ashlyn was released from the hospital, she and Rick began spending a lot of time with Mari and Emmy. They went to church with them, and Mari and Emmy would often meet Rick and Ashlyn outside of church to study the Bible together in each other's homes, coffee shops, libraries, and parks. Mari, who had a newer Bible, gave Rick a copy of one of her older Bibles. The more Rick and Ashlyn read their Bibles and prayed every day, the closer to Jesus they became. Rick began to become even more drawn to Mari because of her faith, and it dawned on him that she used to refuse to go out with him when he was an atheist, because she knew the Bible said not to be unequally yoked. He wondered what she'd say if he asked her out now. He decided to give it a shot once more.

One day while he and Mari were at the lab working on their experiments, he said, "Mari, can I ask you a question?"

Mari smiled. "You already did."

"What?"

Mari laughed. "You asked me if you could ask me a question, and by doing that you were already asking me a question."

Rick chuckled, too. "Can I ask you another question, then?"

"Sure," Mari said.

"Mari, you know I've wanted to go out with you before. Before I became a Christian, what attracted me to you was the fact that, in terms of appearance, you're Angie Harmon's double--whenever I watched Rizzoli & Isles, I felt like I was watching you, and because you're nice and friendly. Now, well, those things still attract me to you, but now that I'm a Christian, I'm attracted to your faith in Christ, and, well, before I keep rambling and rambling, would you like to go to a movie with me this Saturday night? Dinner and a movie?"

Mari smiled. "Sure, I'd love to," she said.

"It's a date?" Rick asked.

"It's a date," Mari agreed. Rick felt like he could float right up to the ceiling.

That night at Rick's house, as Rick and Ashlyn were sitting on the couch watching TV, Rick said to Ashlyn, "Guess what, sweetie, I asked Emmy's mommy out, and she said yes."

Ashlyn's eyes lit up. She smiled and gave her father a big hug. "Oh, Daddy, I am so happy to hear that!" she cried. "Now Emmy and I can be sisters!"

"Whoa, Ashlyn, this is just one date. I'm not sure yet if God wants me and Emmy's mommy to be married," Rick told her.

"But maybe it is. I would love to be Emmy's sister!" Ashlyn cried.

"We'll see," Rick said, although he really hoped that he and Mari could start a relationship that would lead to marriage. He would pray about it.

At Mari's house, Mari was on the treadmill doing her evening run on the treadmill and thinking about what had happened that day. Rick and her going out on a date was unbelievable! They had been friends for so long. They were attracted to each other for quite some time, but until Rick had developed a passion for Jesus, Mari had known it would be wrong to out with him. She wondered if God was leading them to become something more than friends. She prayed about that as she ran on her treadmill.

When she was done exercising, she went into the kitchen, grabbed a bottle of water from the refrigerator, and sat down. Emmy came into the kitchen for a snack. "Mommy, you were exercising a lot longer than usual," she said.

"I know. I had a lot on my mind, baby. When I have a lot on my mind, I like to exercise. It kind of helps me be able to think better," Mari said. "When I get a good workout, the blood flows all throughout my body, including into my brain, so it helps a lot." She grinned.

"What were you thinking about?" Emmy asked, walking up to her mom.

Mari smiled. "Ashlyn's daddy asked me to see a movie with him this Saturday, and to go to a movie, too," she answered.

Emmy jumped into her mother's lap and hugged her with all her might. "Oh, Mommy, Ashlyn and I are going to be sisters!" she cried.

"I don't know about that yet, sweetie," Mari said, giggling a little. "We'll see what God wants, okay?"

"Okay," Emmy said. In her mind she thought to herself, But I hope God wants Ashlyn and me to be sisters!