Have you faced problems scheduling online dates? So have I, and the problems didn’t stop there.

During the spring holy days, my schedule finally opened enough to allow me to ask and plan an online date. The time period seemed perfect, so I didn’t expect any problems. Indeed the first date went well, but the second date provided many complications and problems.

I was so happy to finally plan an online date with a single lady from the States. Everything seemed perfect leading up to it. I thought, At 6 p.m. on Sunday, I will have a wonderful chat. A social was later announced for that Sunday as Mr. Stephen Flurry would be visiting. That was exciting news for all of us, but in the back of my mind was the thought that I had planned an online chat for that day. Nevertheless, I was committed to keeping my promise. It will go well, I thought, I’ll just have to leave the social a little early.

When that Sunday came, all the members were enthusiastic about the special visit. The social seemed to begin just as I needed to leave. I went into a separate room for the online chat, and this is when the problems began.

It all started when my computer could not support Skype. On top of that, my date was unable to access her Gmail account. Thankfully, knowing the potential of a Skype problem, I had another computer with me. I turned it on—but it wouldn’t connect to the Internet. I tried for a while as she tried connecting to her Gmail address. Nothing seemed to be working.

I sat there with two laptops unable to do anything. I went out and asked our Dutch technology expert, but he didn’t know why the laptop wouldn’t contact to wi-fi either and had no solutions.

Were all these efforts in vain? I wondered. I had tried to do the right thing—to do what God wanted me to do—and still nothing was working out.

Another option presented itself when the Dutch member loaned me his iPad. However, connecting to a Dutch Skype with a Dutch keyboard seemed more challenging. Finally, I managed to work things out. By this point, all the members were leaving the social. Now I just had to find her on Skype and wait until she came online.

It was a relief when I saw her come online, but it was getting late and the member whose iPad I was borrowing wanted to leave. Thankfully, he said I could keep it until the next day. However, a few minutes into the chat the Internet connection failed. Oh no! I thought. How can this all happen on one day?

It turns out, one of the members had turned off the electricity because everyone was leaving. Yes, everyone was leaving except me. I was still sitting there with two laptops, an iPad and no Internet connection. The building was being locked up, so I needed to leave.

Thankfully, our helpful Dutch technician was around and he connected me to the outdoor wi-fi. The day was finally saved! Both my date and I thanked him profusely. Now, I was outside walking, enjoying the beautiful weather and talking with a single from another part of the world. It was hours later than what we had planned, but her smile rescued my day.

I thought for a while about the lesson God wanted me to learn. Before this particular chat, I had thought there were just too many problems with online dates. While this seemed to prove my thinking correct, I learned that no matter how many problems there are, God has a thousand more solutions. Every time a single lady told me about a problem, we found a solution. Today, I deeply know that God wants us singles to interact, and no problem can stop us from doing so.