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PROGRAM D-7187
Fran is learning some valuable lessons about her singleness and her trust in the Lord. She attended a singles dinner at her church and met a nice man, David, who was at her table.
After the dinner and program, David asks if Fran can have a cup of coffee with him at the MacDonald’s down the street. She looks at her watch and remembers that she promised the sitter to be home by 10:30—but, she can’t resist. “Well, sure David, I can talk for a few minutes,” Fran replies, and they start the short walk to the restaurant. All the time Jesus tries to send a warning to Fran, but she’s not paying attention. She thinks: “It’s a public place, and I met him at church. What harm could there be?”
The next hour flies by, as Fran and David talk. She learns that he is an engineer, just transferred to the city, and is divorced. He has two sons, ages 11 and 13. He became a Christian after his divorce five years ago.
Suddenly Fran looks at her watch. “Oh, my goodness, it’s almost 11:00. I must go; the sitter is expecting me.” David walks her back to the church parking lot, and as she rushes to her car, he takes her hand and starts to put his arm around her. It makes Fran uncomfortable, and she pulls away. He asks if he can call her, and she gives him her number.
On the way home, her heart is flying high. “He liked me; he really liked me. And he was so easy to talk to. Got a good job, obviously the divorce wasn’t his fault and besides he wasn’t a Christian then. Nice guy.” As Fran thinks about David, she suddenly realizes that Jesus is there, as he always is, and so she says to him, “Well, there was no harm in that, Jesus, right? It felt good to have some male attention. It’s been a long time.”
“No, nothing wrong,” Jesus says. “Except you were inconsiderate of your sitter and you almost allowed a man you don’t even know to kiss you.”
“Oh, I don’t think he was trying to kiss me, Lord, really…” Fran responds without conviction.
“But don’t I deserve some fun once in a while? Good grief!” Fran expresses her frustration. “Do I have to always be the responsible mother?”
She is reminded by that inner voice of God’s Spirit just how vulnerable she is right now. She’s been by herself for quite a while and any male attention is going to start the chemistry going. She seems to hear Jesus say, “Please, don’t let your need for male attention causes you to abandon all your common sense.”
Fran hurries in the house, apologizing to the sitter, who is obviously worried and upset. She pays her a little extra and watches as she walks home across the street, feeling guilty for being thoughtless.