When is the right time to start a relationship?

When is the right time to start a relationship? (May ’01)

He Said by Luis Albizu
There are many types of relationships. They range from a relationship  between mutual or best friends, a family member of some sort, or a "dating" type of relationship. The main type that happens to be the center of my side of this article is on a relationship between a couple.  Most young people think a relationship is something that you see on "Dawson's Creek" or some cheesy television sitcom. As ridiculous or tragic as this may sound, I happen to know people who I went to high school with who think a serious "boyfriend-girlfriend" relationship has to be like the ones on TV or it's not worth their time.  Let's face it, There is no such thing as the perfect relationship or the perfect couple. Personally, I feel it would be best if you meet someone and just talk to them. Get to know them as a person and create a friendship and a bond. Go out in groups instead of one-on-one.  You truly find out much more about that person and their likes/dislikes, habits, and their way of thinking, doing, and handling things. Sure it takes longer, but in the long run, it's worth it. In some situations you could've saved time and heartache by just really getting to know them. If you have that down, then great job, keep it up! 

Personally, I was in a long-distance relationship, but unfortunately it didn’t seem to work out (for now).  Maybe the timing just isn’t right yet.  Did it affect our relationship with each other?  Not at all.  I believe it’s because we started out our relationship as friends, so we have a foundation that cannot be easily broken.  It’s for the best because we are leaving it up to God, and if it’s meant to be, then kudos to us!

She Said by Tanya Khalaf
A common question occurs when two people have manifested their feelings to one another, “When is the right time to start a relationship?”  First and foremost, both people must have a strong bond with God and the church, making Christ the center of all relationships.  They must become friends and get to know one another.  A strong friendship can often withstand conflicts, rather than succumb to problems.  Those involved in intimate relationships are often influenced by the media, instead of turning to the church for answers.  The teens of modern day society are pressured into believing that having a boyfriend or girlfriend is the thing to do.  Joshua Harris, author of I Kissed Dating Goodbye, explains, “Too often, people want what they want (or what they think they want, which is usually “happiness” in one form or another) right now.  The irony of their impatience is that only by learning to wait, and by a willingness to accept the bad with the good, do we usually attain those things that are truly worthwhile” (page 74).  This explanation proves that people are too anxious to jump into relationships, and they must wait for this love.  Remember, “The right thing at the wrong time is the wrong thing” (page 73).  Only when you are fully satisfied with God’s perfect unimaginable love will He provide you with a “deep soul relationship with another” (“God’s Love”).