I live in England, and many British teens don’t have as strong a faith base as American teens. I go to my local church but can’t find anyone to really talk to and share my joy with.

Frustrated

Dear Frustrated:
I’m glad you’ve confessed your sexual past to God and have accepted His forgiveness. He can empower you to remain sexually pure until marriage. I’m proud of you for making this commitment!

Can you find a Christian group that meets regularly on your campus? I also encourage you to ask your pastor for the name of a godly woman you could meet with on a regular basis so she could disciple you, encourage you and pray with you. She can also help you establish specific dating standards for your future dating relationships.

Dear Susie:
I’m a wrestling manager at my school. This past season I met a guy on the team I really like, and he told me he liked me, too. At the final practice, I gave him my phone number and e-mail. That was a couple of months ago. He still hasn’t called or e-mailed. The wrestling banquet is in three weeks, and I’ll see him again. What should I say?

Stumped

Dear Stumped:
You’re basically asking an age-old question that women through the centuries have asked and are still asking: “How do I understand the opposite sex?”

Sigh.

It’s frustrating when they say something that’s not backed up with their actions, isn’t it? Because I don’t know him, I can only guess why he’s reacting in silence. It could be that even though he’s admitted liking you, he may be afraid or just not ready to pursue an actual relationship. Or . . . it could be he likes you as a friend but not romantically. Or he could have simply lost your number and is afraid to ask for it again.

I encourage you to attend the banquet, be warm and friendly when you see him, and be confident in who you are!

Dear Susie:
I went to several Christian camps last summer, and the speakers talked a lot about having intimacy with God. I really want this but don’t know how to get it. Besides reading my Bible, praying and putting God first, what am I missing? How do I become intimate with God?

Desiring More

Dear Desiring More:
I love your letter! More important, God loves your letter, because it reflects your heart’s desire. Let’s begin with a verse from James 4:8: “Come near to God and he will come near to you.”

This lets us know that it’s possible to get close to God. Let’s look in the Old Testament: “ ‘Come now, let us reason together,’ says the LORD” (Isaiah 1:18). This tells us that God desires communication with us; He wants to talk with us and have intimate conversations with His children.

As much as you want to get close to God, He wants it even more! I’m thrilled you’re praying, reading the Bible, hanging out with other Christians and desiring intimacy with God. Could there be anything in your life that’s standing in the way of that intimacy?

Pray the same prayer David prayed in Psalm 139:23-24: “Search me, O God, and know my heart; test me and know my anxious thoughts. See if there is any offensive way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting.”

Ask God to bring to your mind anything in your life that’s not right with Him. And when He does? Commit that area to Him. By doing this, you’re removing any blockage that could be standing in the way of intimacy with your heavenly Father.

I want you to know, though, that there will be times you’re reading the Bible, going to church, praying and aren’t experiencing any blockages, but you still don’t feel intimate with Him. This is when faith kicks in. Remember, your relationship with Christ—and your intimacy with Him—has absolutely nothing to do with feeling! When you don’t feel close to Him, remember the FACT that He has promised to never leave you!

Here’s an old saying I heard years ago: When it’s hardest to pray, pray the hardest. When God seems light years away, don’t back off. Continue studying the Bible and rest in the knowledge that if you ask Him, He’ll show you if there’s something blocking your relationship.