LionOfJudah said:
just wondering why sign up for all the dating services and constantly seek out the relationships, is God's timing your timing now? why not become content and happy with how you are now, and then maybe God will bless you with a mate, or He may bless a mate before that. it is up to Him. it is so often when you give up looking for something that you find it.
This is an old story, but I think it can help answer that question ...
An anonymous storyteller quoted in a sermon I heard long ago said:
A man sat on his rooftop as the waters rose around him. A broken sea wall and a rising tide made his situation more perilous by the moment. A rowboat approached, and a voice called out "Get into the boat - I'll take you to safety!" "No thanks," the homeowner called back. "God will save me." Minutes later, a speed boat came by with the same offer. "I've asked God to save me," answered the man. As the waters rose toward the ridge of the roof, a helicopter flew overhead and someone threw out a lifeline. The man cupped his hands and shouted to the pilot, "I don't need a helicopter. God will save me!" The waters finally covered the house, and the man drowned. "Lord," he said when he arrived at the throne room of heaven, "You failed me! I asked you to save my life. Why didn't you help me?" God said, "What do you mean, I didn't help you? I sent you two boats and a helicopter!"
It's absolutely true that we have to wait for God's timing. I've been waiting for God's timing for several years here, and believe me, nothing's more obvious to me than the fact that the timing for any future marriage is truly out of my hands. His timing for me may very well be "never." Most of the time I'm OK with that possibility, once in a while I'm not, but I've posted plenty about that already in older threads.
However, another trend that I've noticed in my life is that when I tell God I will allow him to work in my life through Scenario A or B, or maybe C, but DEFINITELY NEVER through Scenario D - he has a way of saying "Oh, really? And just who do you think is in charge here?" Next thing you know, I've got a big fat unavoidable D right in front of my nose!
I guess what I'm saying is, if you prefer not to use these sites yourself, that's cool, but don't make it into matter of trusting or not trusting God. These services are definitely flawed - even though I haven't ruled them out for myself, I have yet to find the perfect one. But none of the more mainstream methods are foolproof either - "traditional" dating, courtship, arranged marriages, blind dates, singles groups, enrollment in Bible college, etc - yet God, throughout history, has managed to use those circumstances to bring Christians together for marriages that glorify Him. He can work through online services too - and even though no one grows up dreaming of meeting their spouse online, there are Christians who have, and they'd tell you it was God's plan and His timing that brought them together.
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