If you’re married, do you have a “date night” with your spouse?

Some people set aside time each week when they get together with their spouse, just the two of them, and do something special.

Life is so busy these days that we sometimes have to actually schedule time to spend with our spouse. We have to juggle work, raising children, community involvements, caring for aging parents, hobbies, and so on.

There are so many demands on our time that we often have difficulty making sure we’re giving enough attention to the person most important to us.

And besides, we know that our spouse is aware of our love for them. So we let things slide and don’t make the relationship a priority.

In this way, however, the bond between you starts to suffer. Without regular conversations and one-on-one time, a distance can start to grow in the relationship.

It’s the same with our relationship with God: we’re so busy with family and work commitments that we sometimes fail to fit Him in to our schedules.

We figure that He knows how busy we are, and He already knows we love Him, so He’ll understand if we don’t spend time in prayer or Bible reading today. The problem is that one day without connection with Him becomes two, which becomes three, which stretches into a week.

Pretty soon, we discover it’s been several weeks since we’ve spent quality time with the One most important to us.

Here’s an idea: Why don’t we schedule a regular “date night” with God?

Not just once a week like on Sundays, but regular time every day to connect with our creator.

Just the two of you.

Try to schedule time each day to spend with God. Communicate via prayer and by reading and meditating on His Word. Take time to listen to Him, too. In this way, your relationship with Him will be strengthened and deepened.

After all, isn’t that truly what God wants: a relationship with us?

He didn’t create us to be mindless robots, obedient but without personalities of our own. He made us each to be unique individuals, and even with all our foibles and failures, God still wants an intimate connection with us.

Scripture tells us that God is love, and love requires relationships in which to be expressed. The Father, Son and Holy Spirit have been in relationship with each other for eternity, but God also wants to extend that bond to the people He’s created.

Imagine that: we have the awesome privilege of being able to have a personal relationship with the Creator of the universe!

God has made this possible through the gift of His Son, Jesus. By believing in Christ and accepting His atoning work on the Cross, the barrier that stood between a holy and perfect God and sinful humanity is erased. We can now come to Him in as comfortable and intimate a way as children do with their earthly father.

Why wouldn’t you want to take God up on that?

So go ahead—schedule a “date night” with God!

Great Grandmother’s Date Squares

In the spirit of date nights, I offer here a recipe for a classic Canadian dessert: rich and irresistible date squares. They’re so named not because they’re intended to be eaten on dates (although that would be a great idea), but because they have a filling made of cooked dates.

This recipe was handed down from my great-grandmother. In Western Canada, where she was from, this dessert is known as Matrimonial Cake. It’s so scrumptious that baking it for someone you’re interested in has been known to lead to matrimony!

These squares were such a hit when I brought them to my Bible study group that a fight (a very polite one!) almost broke out over the last pieces. They really are that good!

Date filling:

1 lb. pitted dates, chopped (honey dates are a good choice)
1/2 cup water
1 Tbsp dark brown sugar

Base and topping:

1 cup sifted flour
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/8 tsp salt (omit if using salted butter)
1 cup butter, softened slightly but not melted
1 cup dark brown sugar
2 cups quick-cooking rolled oats

In a saucepan, boil together dates, water and brown sugar until dates are soft enough to be mashed with a fork or potato masher. Add extra water if needed to prevent scorching. Let cool.

Preheat oven to 325ºF . While oven is preheating, prepare base and topping:

In a bowl, stir together flour, soda and salt. Mix in butter with a fork or pastry blender. Stir in brown sugar and oats. Mixture will resemble thick crumbs rather than batter.

Spread half of crumbs in a greased 8-inch pan. Pat to make smooth. Cover evenly with cooled date filling. Cover dates with remaining crumbs.

Bake for 30-40 minutes. When cool, cut into squares.

© 2021 Lori J. Cartmell. All rights reserved.