When Getting a Date Becomes the Biggest Problem
Originally written in the early weeks of May
I have recently decided that I will not be attending my high school prom. After prom, yes. The dance? No. Prom consumed me. It created strained relationships, stress migraines, and a low self esteem.
Long story short, I thought two guys were going to ask me and they didn’t. I was so convinced they were going to ask me, that when they didn’t, I was devastated. Then I asked a boy if he would go with me. He said no. I asked another boy, and he said no as well. At this point, my self esteem was so low that it took three very kind girls to encourage me to stop sobbing. You see, I had come to the conclusion that I was uglier than all of the other girls, I was meaner, I was incredibly boring, and that that was why I couldn’t get a date.
Quick pause: What an awesome opportunity for the Devil to spew lies into my life. I was so invested in finding a date that I had shoved God out of the car and taken over the wheel for this prom segment of my life. Resume.
At this point, I was done. I called it quits, and decided I just needed to let it go. Many people offered me the opportunity to go in their all girls group, and I seriously considered it. I struggled with going just to go, or not going to prom.
I needed to realize that one of the few reasons I was going to go to prom was because I wanted to impress people with a pretty dress, nice hair, and lots of makeup. Not to have a fun night with girl friends or look nice for a special occasion. I was doing it for all of the wrong reasons.
After this realization, I decided to host a movie night with friends and then go to After Prom with some friends from out of district. This turned out to be the perfect solution. A few people told me I would regret not going to my senior prom. A few people looked at me with pity when I told them I wasn’t going or they found out I didn’t go. It wasn’t without consequences, but I don’t regret my decisions and after lots of prayer I do believe it was God’s will that I didn’t go.
Not going to prom turned out to be the perfect solution for me. I was so invested in finding a date that it consumed my life, was destroying important relationships and causing unnecessary strife. I have beautiful pictures from my sister’s wedding, I hadn’t bought a dress or committed to a group, and I would have the opportunity to wear a prom dress to my May choir concert. I knew a few people who weren’t going to the dance, so I could still spend the evening with friends. After Prom was a blast, I loved the girls I went with and it was tons of fun.
Don’t get me wrong, prom creates some people’s favorite memories from their senior year! It can be a fantastic moment, but for me, it was right to just not go.
God was faithful. He provided friends who stood by me, helped me, and loved on me. I didn’t trust Him with the situation, but he used it to prove that I need to trust Him in all aspects of my life. Trust Him and pursue His will.
Years Of Trust 