Have you ever been so nervous you could feel your heart beating in your forehead? Well, that’s how I felt one day in May of 2014. My girlfriend, Liz, drove over six hundred miles to see me before my busy summer season kicked off. I had big plans, so I sent her out on a spa day with my mother. It was designed to be a distraction. However, I didn’t think about how awkward of a situation I was creating. She had never spent time with my mother or even talked to her for longer than two minutes, but now they were struck hanging out in bathrobes together. Anyway, that’s a different story. Once she wrapped up her spa treatment, my mom texted me to warn me that they were on the way to the church where I worked. Why did she warn me? Because I was about to ask the biggest question I’ve ever asked.

When Liz arrived, I escorted her into the sanctuary where I had lit nearly forty candles and set up a ten-foot video screen in front of the room. It was likely a fire hazard, but I was in love. We sat on the sofa positioned in front of the screen and I anxiously hit play. No, we weren’t watching Toy Story or Die Hard. Instead, the screen flickered and showed a home- video of our love story. I had secretly been collecting footage over the past few weeks and asked a bunch of our friends to film short video messages about how cute we are together. The video reviewed all the miles we had traveled to see each other, all the places we had seen together, and then it built up to say, “and now I have a question for you.” The screen went black.

My palms were so sweaty that the little brown box almost flung out of my hands like a fish out of water. I took a deep gulp, then I got on one knee. I stuttered, “W-W-Will you marry me?” With sweat on my face and tears in her eyes, she ecstatically said yes. I took a sigh of relief and she made a squealing noise before we kissed to celebrate. Now she is my wife.

Love is a risk, right? She could have easily just said no and left me on one knee surrounded by candles. Here’s the thing about falling in love: What if you fall and they don’t catch you? You have to take a massive step into the unknown. It’s uncomfortable and scary. They might reject you. They might break your heart. You might find out that they don’t like cheese. Love risks your stability and security.

Love is a big risk, but it leads to a bigger reward.

READ: Ruth 3:1-6
One day Ruth’s mother-in-law Naomi said to her, “My daughter, I must find a home for you, where you will be well provided for. Now Boaz, with whose women you have worked, is a relative of ours. Tonight he will be winnowing barley on the threshing floor. Wash, put on perfume, and get dressed in your best clothes. Then go down to the threshing floor, but don’t let him know you are there until he has finished eating and drinking. When he lies down, note the place where he is lying. Then go and uncover his feet and lie down. He will tell you what to do.” “I will do whatever you say,” Ruth answered. So she went down to the threshing floor and did everything her mother-in-law told her to do.

When we think of love, our minds sometimes flash to the isle of a drug-store on February 13th. We imagine big heart-shaped boxes of candy, oversized teddy bears, and cheesy greeting cards. The Bible paints a bigger (and more beautiful) picture of love than any Hallmark movie ever could — it teaches that love is strengthened by service and sacrifice. When you love someone, you seek out their best interest, even above your own.

The story of Ruth would make a mediocre movie. Naomi loves Ruth enough to encourage her to take a big risk and seek out a man named Boaz. It’s very simple and to-the-point. There’s no love triangle. There’s no chase through the airport. It’s just a girl seeking out a guy. There are a couple of things to unpack in this story. First, I’m sure some of you cringed when they said that Boaz was a relative. It’s not as strange as it sounds. It simply means they were from the same tribe, which was a big deal back then. Family preservation played a big role in ancient relationships. Secondly, what on earth does “uncover his feet” mean? It sounds a little gross, right? As we have seen with the example of Jesus washing his disciples feet, uncovering feet was a sign of service and sacrifice back then. Talk about a big risk. She sought out this mystery man and uncovered his feet — this is way riskier than a text.

She fell, but Boaz caught her. They got married which ultimately preserved the family for future generations. What was the major lynchpin of this love story? Ruth obeyed her mother by taking a big risk. Ruth’s risk changed the course of history forever. She was from the line of Judah, the son of Jacob and Leah. Their family lineage was about to hit a dead end. Which would have been a big problem. However, due to her obedience, the family flourished. Ultimately, she became the great grandmother to King David. Then, a few hundred years later, Jesus was born from the line of Judah.

Salvation came to all mankind because of this seemingly-lousy love story. God has big plans that often come through small steps of obedience. We may not understand why God is asking us to do something, but trusting Him leads to astounding outcomes. God’s plans for you are bigger than you can ask or imagine (Ephesians 2:20). When you are ready to take the risk of love, reflect God in your relationship. Obey Him. Worship Him. Serve Him. Trust Him.

God knows what’s best for you. Every step of the way, strive to obey. God gives us guidelines in scripture, because they put us on the path to our best lives. Stop comparing your story to those in movies and on television. Those were written by script writers, yours can be written by God. Hand Him the pen. Let God write your love story.

TALK IT OUT
Q1: What’s your favorite love story from a movie or TV show?
Q2: What “rewards” does God want for us in a healthy relationship?
Q3: What risks do you take when you approach dating based on God’s teachings instead of what’s most common?
Q4: How will those risks pay off in the end?
Q5: Ruth obeyed her mother and God when pursuing Boaz. How are your parents and God guiding you to approach dating? Are you being obedient?
Q6: What’s one, big way you want to honor God with your future relationships? How can you maintain this commitment?