We never  expecting to have our 23 year old daughter,  Sarah,  finish her Christian High School and  Christian College and still be  single and more beautiful then ever.  

Now she found herself in the secular work place,   having to contend with the pursuing interests of men from differing spiritual upbringing.  Fortunately Sarah  was still living at home so mom and dad both kept close tabs on her social calendar.  Especially when it involved  young men and dating.

 Having raised Sarah in a Christian home, we had some basic parameters, guidelines and yes, even some “requirements” , for the one  who we felt God had planned for and we had prayed that our only daughter would, one day marry.

The idea to create an application came  to me suddenly after a particular awkward lunch.  Sarah’s mom and I were   meeting the  latest boy of interest, for the first time. He was 26 years old, from out of state so we looked forward to getting to know about him over lunch.   To our shock, we learned he was already been divorced and had two children in another state.   Yikes.  My sense of “dad” was called to immediate action.Fortunately that fledgling relationship dissolved over the next month or so.  But the “incident”  gave me great pause.

After that, I would lay awake in bed  nights trying to create, what I’m sure,  many dads before me have done, and created this application to date my daughter.  This is nothing original with me,  and I’m sure many more will follow in these same footsteps, as dads of daughters. Hoping to separate the wheat from the chaff.  To protect and direct, if at all possible, the heart of their princess to her knight in shining armor.

As a dad, I  had wanted to be involved in “helping” my 23 year old daughter find the “right- man” God had for her.  So, now  being between relationship I  quickly approached Sarah,  (as I had discovered  it’s  impossible to talk any  sense into a love-struck women)  and asked if  I could be actively involved and helping  her  navigate through these various young men / potential husbands .  I would  act as a buffer, and  protector as these suitors who wanted to get better acquainted with her.   She agreed.  And I sensed she felt some relief  now knowing she didn’t have to figure it all out on her own.

From that time on, Sarah would freely and cheerfully,  direct “interested”  suitors to come speak to me. She  would always warn  them, “If you want to take me out, my dad has  an application you have to fill out”.

A few of the brave would come and speak to me and I even  gave a couple of them applications to some prospective bows.   But none of them were ever returned  to me.  I received only one completed application.

Not only did he date my daughter but he asked for her hand in marriage and became her husband 18 months later.

So the plan  worked.   This application will help test to see if their interest as to it’s genuine intent.  Because  I knew that only  a young man of greatest courage, integrity, willing to be vulnerable , transparent and honest, with genuine, sacrificial  desire  know my daughter, would dare to return this completed application to me. 

 The only one application that was returned  to me, completed and signed,  gained that young man a lot of my respect and the privilege and my permission to  my only daughter’s hand in marriage.That courageous young man,  married  Sarah 18 months later.