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Christian male 38 trying to get to know a 32 year old woman; is this parental behavior normal? This is my first actual dating experience

Deborah1$

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I mistakenly hit the "like" button, when I meant to hit the "reply" button. While reading this, I kept thinking this was a made-up story because it sounded bizarre. Unfortunately, there are about 9,000 red flags all over this situation. There is nothing wrong with her showing deference to her parents but at 32, you have to wonder just how long this behavior will last, just how much deference she'll extend and in what areas, what all the deference encompasses and your "role" in the relationship. I'd also wonder about her previous relationships, if any, and how they progressed. Right now, you don't seem an integral part of this relationship. Are you willing to be more of a peripheral player who copes with their rules? In the future how would they receive any suggestions you have? Since you're new to the dating arena, please understand it's usually not this complicated.
 
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Christianasking

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Thank you Johansen for sharing your story and testimony. I apologize for the late reply. Been trying to reply andn keep in touch with people, but it has been hard to do these couple months. I appreciate it! Right before I met her, I was praying very strongly and differently than all my prayers before that I could remember praying.

I have been trying to pray, but it has not progressed past the few minutes. I thought I'd be back to normal by Thanksgiving, or at least moved on, but it's not happened yet.

I'm conflicted and confused on so many things about this still. I really truly don't know what or how to feel better or feel right about all this.
 
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Diamond72

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There's a reason you're not at peace, and you need to pray about it.
That is exactly right. We need to pray about something until God gives us peace. Also we can pray for understanding. Our angels have access to a HUGE library in Heaven so just about any information is available for us.
 
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Christianasking

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No doubt this is true to a degree, but it's just this entire situation. Getting hurt by a relationship is life, that's normal, you may get angry at God for a little over it, but you return shortly usually and see how it was all for the best. I know God's sovereignty. If I was a new Christian I could accept it easier. This one has greatly affected me. It deeply bothers and hurts me! I don't think I can even put into words how sorrowful my soul is over all this.


And watch out for yourself! > make sure you do not hold your happiness hostage, in order to try to get God to work this out the way you want!
My happiness is definitely in prison currently. God doesn't have to do anything. That's also a striking point on this. God's letting it continue. Why was I brought into this situation? Why did the woman and I have such peace and fun together doing almost nothing but being next to each other? Why after I had been praying hard for my wife to enter was it her that entered? There things that are too coincidental. I don't believe in luck really anymore or coincidences.
I've been trying to stay away from people. It's depressing, it's the holidays, no one wants the depressed person around. Stopped talking to some of the people I was trying to lead to Christ, because how in the world would I explain what I am going through to them. If it ends up being her, which is the other possibility. How do I wait? Just pretend all is good, and continue with everything. I thought that would already be back to normal but it isn't. In the few minutes of prayer I do pray, I still ask for my wife. I don't even know what to ask for in prayers. Whether praying myself or asking from prayers for others.

I do know that if it isn't her, God has someone greater and better. If it is her God will provide and work things out, but right now in the state of my heart neither I could handle. That probably makes no sense, but that's how I feel. I'm 100% unable to do anything in this situation.
 
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com7fy8

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prayer . . . . . . .

We trust You, God. Thank You for all that You do.

submitting to You, how You bless us to . . . including correcting us so we are submissive to You in Your peace > then is when we do well with You first, not only with people.

Please bless him to be encouraged to share with You so he is satisfied first because of You. And then have him discovering how he will be loving any and all people.

And if anyone is not loving him, not treating him right > this can give him practice for how to handle problems with a lady he marries >

"And I will very gladly spend and be spent for your souls; though the more abundantly I love you, the less I am loved." (2 Corinthians 12:15)

Yes, this is impossible for any of us, but possible with You. So, we offer ourselves to You in prayer for him. Please prove Yourself to him and his lady friend whether they marry or not. And make the way for them to do what You want. And have mercy on anyone who is not being honorable and honest and kind.

The glory is to You, in the name of Your Son Jesus. Amen.
 
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com7fy8

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This one has greatly affected me. It deeply bothers and hurts me! I don't think I can even put into words how sorrowful my soul is over all this.
Thank you for sharing this with us, for trusting us about this.

You can use this to help you to feel for others who are in pain and sorrow.

There are people who say to say nothing when we are with people in deep and major grief and pain. Just be there for them.

But Jesus did say things to people who were deeply suffering and disappointed. And He did things which changed things.

So, trust Jesus to evaluate and do what He knows is good. Give it to Him, understanding He is the One to handle it and this will include using it for all the good that God is able to do with it. Because God is all-loving, He will use it for His good which is all-loving.

Look at how Jesus was so betrayed and hated and suffering, and God has used the crucifixion of Jesus for such all-loving good.

I have been in the deep pit. It is not nice. It is horrible. I have offered to execute myself if God knew He was not going to get me right. But God's love came through and changed me and encouraged me. He proved Himself to me. It was like He gave me a shot of His love which gave me immunity against the deep horrible stuff, and this was very encouraging. Then I got in the deep horrible stuff again, but it did not have as much of a hold in me; and again I offered to execute myself; but another shot of love came and changed me; and since then I have not gotten that deep and that bad. But I have still needed more and major correction so I am with God and stay with Him.

"'Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls.'" (Matthew 11:29)

Now I think you can see that I could be touched by God's love so the problem went away. But did it stay away? No. Why?

Because I still had character which allowed me to be affected by that severe and cruel emotional stuff. I need God to cure me in His love, so I stay the way His love can keep us. So, I have been my only real problem, then. And it seems that God has been changing me so nasty things coming . . . attacking . . . violating me . . . in my mind and emotions > can not control me, though they do come. And more and more I do well to stay prayerful trusting Jesus to do what He pleases with me. And do not only pray about my own self, but pray in all-loving caring and sharing as family with our Jesus people wherever we are.

We do need to share with our brothers and sisters as family. God uses us to help one another. So, it is wise not to hide your trouble from the real Jesus people, but also do not make some project of advertising how things are for you. But listen, I would say.

"swift to hear, slow to speak, slow to wrath" (in James 1:19)

And forgive whoever has done you wrong >

"Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they do." (in Luke 23:34)

And because our character is not really so great and perfect at forgiving like Jesus, things will come back to attack us again in our minds and we can give in, and be maybe embarrassed and worried that we haven't "really forgiven" those people. But . . . when stuff comes back, by now you have become more mature so you can forgive the person better than the last time, and pray God's blessing to that person. And grow more so each next time we do better at forgiving and loving those impossible people.

So, what is going on with her? Does she share with other Christians? If she works, she can share there, maybe, with people who are good for her. She is not always with her parents. God can make the way. He knows who she really is and how she is. So, if she is really with Him, He will take care of her.

"casting all your care upon Him, for He cares for you." (1 Peter 5:7)
 
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Diamond72

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you may get angry at God for a little over it
You get angry with God because you got caught with your hand in the cookie jar? Because God loves us, He wants what is best for us. The Sabath was made for man, not man for the Sabath. He does everything for our benefit. We do like to grumble and complain but life is a lot better when we give praise, honor and thanks onto God.
 
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johansen

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You get angry with God because you got caught with your hand in the cookie jar?
I don't think that's what's going on here.

this situation is highly abnormal and having been in several similarly serious situations, and far worse ones,. all i can say is that this situation will resolve when OP deals with the things God needs him to deal with. which may be that sometimes you have to be at peace about watching someone else die and there is nothing you can do about it.


we can sit back and postulate the usual narrative that its not OP's responsibility to rescue the girl.. but sometimes it is. and the guilt of doing nothing will eat at you like nothing else and it lasts your whole life. it does not go away.

a 32 yr old woman trapped in her parents house is not a natural situation, and any spiritually healthy person who finds that out, will be affected the way OP is being affected!. sometimes there is nothing you can do but perhaps OP's short relationship with the girl will inspire to her to pray and hopefully God can wake her up to the reality of her own situaition.

and even if you can help the woman out of the house, that has nothing to do with future relationship potential....


I had a situation happen where close to 7 years ago a 13 yr old girl at church started giving me the "1000 yard stare"
4 years and 6 months later I found the guts to pray for the girl and in the process of healing the girls depression through the spiritual realm, behind her back, I found that her depression was the same as mine, and as a result of further prayers I saw the source of hers. So that left me quite a bit freaked what to do with that information, because i've been in that situation before and the information proved accurate. Over the last 2 years I've accepted that God did not expect me to talk to anyone about that information. Instead I started praying for the mother, and realized the girl was not giving consent to share the source of her depression with her mom, but she was willing for God to share it with me. So i started praying that God would open the mothers eyes.. and i think that did happen.

Never in my life have I had anyone stare at me the way that girl did. But if it happens again yes I would take the risk to talk to someone else's kid, as I should have with her, in 2018. and for the record I only had 5 short conversations with her over 4 years. tried to run away for the first year and a half, but it didn't work. Kept crossing paths with the girl in "interesting" places. Didn't even know how to spell her name correctly until 2023, and that's when i found a post on her mom's facebook page mentioning her daughter's depression: in 2020.

but if i could go back in time yes i would have taken the risk to handle that situation very differently.
 
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Diamond72

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I only had 5 short conversations
At times I stay away from people because I am NOT going to take the risk of anyone saying anything. In fact if a minor is involved I want my wife and her mother there. So no one can accuse me of anything.

The point of the cookie jar is they make delicious cookies and then tell you not to eat them. Is that not what God is doing. Giving us desires and then telling us not to act on those desires? The Hasidic do not date. So they are able to maintain their purity. I wonder if they are not the 144,000 "virgins" that we read about in Revelation.

I world is taking a really bad turn right now. I go on TikTok and Facebook and they allow filthy defiled garbage on there as if that is the way things are in the world. We have been told for a long time to expect a lot of this stuff as we draw closer to the Kingdom age where Jesus will rule and reign for 1,000 years.
 
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Christianasking

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Sorry, I somehow missed replying to this. True, unfortunately I was unable to notice hardly any of them right away. I usually pick up on things like this quite quickly, there was things, but they were subtle things here and there. It just wasn't enough for a complete picture or an ideal of what was or is going on during it until the 29th happened. Basically she said she had to listen to her dad until she is married.

I could not ever do that. I had stated to her that I had do what is Biblically correct. I tried to convey during my last in person meeting with her that this wasn't normal while her dad was watching from his vehicle. I was met with the I don't like when you contradict my parents, and my parents know what is best.

I recognized that that was going nowhere, and so I asked if she'd go to a neutral church and ask them about everything. She said she was open to the idea, but then countered that her parents haven't led her astray yet. Pretty much her parents do everything proper and what is best for her without question.

The only thing I know about her with a past relationship, is someone 'touched her thighs' and they called her princess. Which I found about the name thing after she started calling me her prince and I said then well you'll be my princess then. Then she said she liked when I called her the name, but it reminded her of the other guy, because he called her that too. But that it was different when I called her that. Which I had started designing her a custom card and drafted it with the word princess on the front of the card, and ended up having to try to redo it, which was going to be done that weekend of the 29th.

I doubt anything I ever said would matter. When I talked with him one on one, it was about me being wrong and him being correct, and he'd be making the decision, then he'd turn the wording around a few seconds later, saying I mean it'll be her decision, but I will let her know what I think.

Since you're new to the dating arena, please understand it's usually not this complicated.

I truly do want to believe that, but after this I don't want to get know anyone anymore. I mean my social anxiety has already taken a large hit from this, and my mind is completely like what could I have done different? I did everything Biblical I could do. I respected her, honored her, was always offering to help her with anything I could, I was kind to her parents, even after the event of the 29th. Was trying to go to church with her. It's literally knocked me extremely down. I did everything I could and am still within in my soul wondering why was I even put into this situation.
 
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Christianasking

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That is exactly right. We need to pray about something until God gives us peace. Also we can pray for understanding. Our angels have access to a HUGE library in Heaven so just about any information is available for us.
I was praying all during August, as like every month prior to it. September I was still praying, though my prayers were becoming weaker. I don't believe there will be any understanding on this for me. It's almost the end of the year, and I am still not at peace. Twelve days before this will have been four months since this nightmare officially began.
 
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Christianasking

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Full quote is "Getting hurt by a relationship is life, that's normal, you may get angry at God for a little over it, but you return shortly usually and see how it was all for the best. I know God's sovereignty. If I was a new Christian I could accept it easier. This one has greatly affected me. It deeply bothers and hurts me! I don't think I can even put into words how sorrowful my soul is over all this."

Using the "You get angry with God because you got caught with your hand in the cookie jar?" is a metaphor for temptation and being usually caught in the act of something wrong or sinful. In which, you can fully read what happened. As for the example I gave about people in general getting hurt by relationships; being hurt by a relationship and getting angry with God over it for a short period is a common occurrence of human emotions. It doesn't directly mean you did anything wrong. Job is a prime example of this. My favorite verse is about always giving praise. As such, I'm well acquainted with still serving through everything. However, nothing good has come from this that I see or anyone else I've spoken with as of yet.
 
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Diamond72

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It deeply bothers and hurts me! I don't think I can even put into words how sorrowful my soul is over all this."
It took me five years to get over my divorce, and 12 years before the pain fully subsided. I experienced depression, which stemmed from a negative mindset. Although I believe I did nothing wrong during the marriage, I realize I should not have married her. However, we had a son, and his presence brought something good out of the situation. Sadly, he died from a drug overdose, and I saw firsthand how deeply children are affected by the trauma of divorce.
While I did nothing wrong in the marriage, I must admit that I had used and abused women in the past, and it seems like karma caught up with me. I had to endure the trauma I had caused others.
This might not directly apply to you, but please understand that I can empathize with your struggles. The oxytocin hormone in the brain plays a significant role in why people bond and the pain associated when that bond is broken. This is true for animals as well; for example, cats bond with each other or with humans, and they experience similar emotions due to oxytocin, which acts as a natural painkiller. Oxycontin, a synthetic version of this hormone, interacts with the same receptors in the brain, which is why drug addicts often struggle to form meaningful bonds with people.
Again, this might not be your exact experience, but I hope sharing this perspective helps.
 
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Christianasking

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The sharing has helped some. Using it to help others, yes, that's usually how my life goes, which I am fine with, but this situation doesn't appear at this moment like it'll help anyone. Hopefully somehow in the future someone might stumble upon me, or this forum and it'll help them see how things worked out.
Thank you for sharing your life Com7fy8, too! I would definitely say this is the most broken I have ever been. Definitely the worst my faith has ever been after something. A lot of hardships and bad days, but this set of circumstances, my prayers, people praying over me and prayer requests I had made this year and for all this to end up this way this year has all contributed to a very defeated and broken person. In which I don't see anyway to heal, fix or repair this brokenness and state.
I don't think I am even feeling emotions right now. I know I am sad, but there's no tears, I know I am angry at God, but mostly due to why do this to me? My hate that I had towards God has started to fade away, but I am not seeing any recovery of my faith.


I agree, we are to help each other, but I don't see myself as being able to help anyone in my current state. Forgiving isn't that hard, on most things, but this one will definitely take time. I have never witnessed and been a part of such a wicked thing.

I'd say the Christians who see her, see this nice Christian woman, that has been on television, posts some Christian stuff and don't have a clue as to any of this and her family. She said a friend from church was helping her get homeschooling families. I imagine it'll continue going on for years, and new men or possibly women will be brought into this situation in different ways and have to deal with it too. I don't believe she's a bad person, and I had great peace with her, etc, but I don't believe it'll ever change as it is. I'd say it's more of her family that has control over everything, than her, and that makes for an unusual situation.

People think one thing due to how it appears on the outside, but it's a totally different world once you get to know her; which few will probably ever get to know. It's like in my eyes as a pastor who is hiding sinful behavior but has a nice church. It looks great on the outside.
 
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Diamond72

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nothing good has come from this that I see
God tells us in Romans 8:28: that all things work together for good. > "And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose."

This verse offers comfort and hope, reassuring believers that despite the challenges and hardships they may face, God has a plan and purpose that ultimately leads to good. It's a reminder of God's sovereignty and the faith that, even in difficult times, there is a greater purpose at work.

Of course we need to look into what the verse means to be "called according to His purpose". We always need to seek to follow God and HIs plan for us and our life. We are told in psalm 139 16 that God writes the book of our life at or before conception. "Your eyes saw my unformed body; all the days ordained for me were written in your book before one of them came to be."

We are given gifts, talents and abilities at conception. We need to use what we have to bring praise, honor and glory to God. So we align with Him and become co creators with God.
 
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com7fy8

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I'd say the Christians who see her, see this nice Christian woman, that has been on television, posts some Christian stuff and don't have a clue as to any of this and her family.
One thing I think of is don't blame anyone. Simply trust God now.

And if you don't, no one else controls this, right? I would say she needs someone who is a good friend for her, one who is wise to what is happening and is prayerfully ready to deal with whatsoever the reality really is. Love "bears all things" > in 1 Corinthians 13.

In my case, for some time I understood I needed to be ready to forgive anything with someone close to me. And do not let anything get to me. But this did not make me wise to make sure about what was going on with a person. So, I fell really hard for one person, after getting immoral with another. Then I could see I was not making sure with God. And that was what I had to do, no blaming anyone for fooling me.

Now I am with my lady friend, and plenty of things can be a problem. But I trusted God to rule if I got with someone or not; and I keep praying for Him to guide me in His peace, and here we are still. And love does me more good, than anything I might lose or miss out on. God's love is better than anything in this life.

Oh . . . and by the way . . . our Apostle Paul talks about how we need >

"faith working through love" > in Galatians 5:6.

So, faith is not only about believing and trusting, but how God's love makes this for us. And in this love we have creativity.

So, we are going to be stubborn. We are not going to give up on you!
 
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peachpilgrim

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For those who are his, God does not give up on them. I have thought before, that if God loved his own son so much and allowed him to go through for his people, all that he went through..then we cannot say God does not love us on the basis of hardship. Sorry to hear you were struggling with your faith; I hope at the end you can say that your faith has been strengthened or that you have truly found the peace of God, that you have his joy despite or even amidst the sorrows of life. After looking at this discussion I am reminded of a page I made which God willing may be helpful, which includes counseling options although I am not endorsing everything blanketly (I edited it today). Personally I have had counseling in person. I was also homeschooled but that is not what I was getting counseling for, haha! Blogger
 
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Christianasking

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While I do not believe in karma, I do understand Galatians 6:7. Though this doesn't mean any of this happened due to anything you did in your past. 1 John 1:9/1 John 2:1 . I do want to say I am sorry for what has befallen you in your life, and may all the things that have happened and occurred to you and your family be turned around for the Glory of God. May things of joy and happiness be brought into your life by God that your horrors and pain will bring comfort and new people to Christ. I appreciate your insight and sharing of your heart with me!

I hope you'll have a good Christmas and a blessed start to the New Year!
 
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