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I Was Blind (Dating), But Now I See: My Misadventures in Dating, Waiting, and Stumbling into Love
Eight setups. Eight awkward dates. Eight things God tried to teach her along the way. (Some of which she's still trying to figure out.)Stephanie Rische was starting to feel invisible. All around her, her friends were getting married, and she found herself decidedly alone. Stephanie couldn't help but wonder if there was something broken in her--was she not pretty enough? Not fun enough? Not dateable enough (whatever that meant)? So she started praying in earnest for God to bring the right man into her life. And instead, He brought her matchmakers. Eight of them, to be precise.Beloved blogger Stephanie Rische debuts with this charming, vulnerable, and (who are we kidding?) often mortifying true story of a girl who tried really hard to find someone to fall in love with--even when she mostly just ended up falling flat on her face. But amid the most cringeworthy setups and awkward encounters, Stephanie found God's grace and love meeting her there in ways she never could have imagined--once she opened her eyes to see.
320 pages, Paperback
First published February 1, 2016
7 people are currently reading
176 people want to read
About the author
Stephanie Rische
5 books18 followersStephanie Rische is a senior editor of nonfiction books at Tyndale House Publishers, as well as a freelance writer for various publications, including Today’s Christian Woman, Today’s Christian Living magazine, Marriage Partnership, and her.meneutics. She and her husband, Daniel, live in the Chicago area, where they enjoy riding their bikes, making homemade ice cream, and swapping bad puns. She has several little princesses in her life, including her much-loved nieces. She blogs at stephanierische.com.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 49 reviews
September 13, 2019
I'm not someone who spends a lot of time being sad about the fact that I'm not married right now, even though when I was younger I assumed I would be by this point in my life. I'm just too busy working and freaking out about my own character flaws and reading books until 1 a.m. to be concerned about the fact that I'm not sharing my life with a husband. Plus, I still live with my family and am blessed with awesome friends, so I'm rarely, if ever, provided with time to actually be lonely.
And yet, there are times where I wish the story was different.
This summer I was camping with my family at the same place we camp every year. We have so many good memories there, and every year is just as fun as the last. But this year, weirdly enough, I was hit with a wave of sadness every morning as I was walking to the showers- one of my few unaccompanied moments. For some reason, the thought would pop into my head that, by this time in my life, I always assumed we'd have another person in our camping party - my husband. I'd imagined showing him my favorite places, making him stomp through the woods in search of wild blackberries with me, and roasting marshmallows while telling stories by the campfire.
I didn't wallow in the sadness, but it was interesting to realize that what I'd assumed was "contentment" in my singleness might be more a case of preoccupation with other things, and when those things were removed, even briefly, I felt sad about my singleness. I'm not saying that it's bad to fill your life with other things, just that I realized that I probably cared a little more, even than I'd admit to myself, about my relationship status. I prayed about it a lot that week, and at some point I thought of this book and decided I definitely needed to read it.
I'd been eyeing it on hoopla for quite some time because the title amuses me, and as a single Christian female in her mid-twenties I knew that I was the exact demographic for which this book was written. But, it's an ebook, and I low-key despise reading ebooks on my laptop.
BUT NOW I HAD A KINDLE. So, a month and a half after deciding I really, really needed to read it, I used my last remaining hoopla borrow for August and decided I'd do just that. I immediately fell in love, not with any of Stephanie's dates, but with her writing style, sense of humor, and perspective . I love her honesty and the balanced approach she takes to telling her story, explaining what she was feeling and what God was teaching her through her circumstances with equal frankness. And, quite honestly, I'm amazed at how graciously and lovingly she treats the people in these pages. There were so many opportunities for her to make humorously snarky (but hurtful) remarks about other people, and I can't recall her taking a single one. And some of those people definitely deserved it, imo.
I finished this book the same day I started it, I just didn't update it on here. I was embarrassed by my own total lack of discipline in reading this book. And, when it came right down to it, I was also a little unsure of how to describe it. It's not a devotional book, but it has devotional elements. It's not a romantic comedy, although certain parts of it might fit in with one of those plots. It's mostly a book about living well, about not making your circumstances a hindrance to growing closer to God or seizing all that life has for you. I hate to even make a comparison like this (mostly because I don't usually find these kinds of comparisons to be helpful) but this book and Bittersweet, by Shauna Niequist probably fall in the same category of "Christian semi-devotional semi-autobiographical works that will make you cry because they're SO RELATABLE."
If you are searching for answers from God in your single season (or if you just really like reading about cringe-worthy setups because, c'mon, that's pretty fun) I recommend you peek into Stephanie's journey by reading this book. You might just find something that speaks to your heart.
And yet, there are times where I wish the story was different.
This summer I was camping with my family at the same place we camp every year. We have so many good memories there, and every year is just as fun as the last. But this year, weirdly enough, I was hit with a wave of sadness every morning as I was walking to the showers- one of my few unaccompanied moments. For some reason, the thought would pop into my head that, by this time in my life, I always assumed we'd have another person in our camping party - my husband. I'd imagined showing him my favorite places, making him stomp through the woods in search of wild blackberries with me, and roasting marshmallows while telling stories by the campfire.
I didn't wallow in the sadness, but it was interesting to realize that what I'd assumed was "contentment" in my singleness might be more a case of preoccupation with other things, and when those things were removed, even briefly, I felt sad about my singleness. I'm not saying that it's bad to fill your life with other things, just that I realized that I probably cared a little more, even than I'd admit to myself, about my relationship status. I prayed about it a lot that week, and at some point I thought of this book and decided I definitely needed to read it.
I'd been eyeing it on hoopla for quite some time because the title amuses me, and as a single Christian female in her mid-twenties I knew that I was the exact demographic for which this book was written. But, it's an ebook, and I low-key despise reading ebooks on my laptop.
BUT NOW I HAD A KINDLE. So, a month and a half after deciding I really, really needed to read it, I used my last remaining hoopla borrow for August and decided I'd do just that. I immediately fell in love, not with any of Stephanie's dates, but with her writing style, sense of humor, and perspective . I love her honesty and the balanced approach she takes to telling her story, explaining what she was feeling and what God was teaching her through her circumstances with equal frankness. And, quite honestly, I'm amazed at how graciously and lovingly she treats the people in these pages. There were so many opportunities for her to make humorously snarky (but hurtful) remarks about other people, and I can't recall her taking a single one. And some of those people definitely deserved it, imo.
I finished this book the same day I started it, I just didn't update it on here. I was embarrassed by my own total lack of discipline in reading this book. And, when it came right down to it, I was also a little unsure of how to describe it. It's not a devotional book, but it has devotional elements. It's not a romantic comedy, although certain parts of it might fit in with one of those plots. It's mostly a book about living well, about not making your circumstances a hindrance to growing closer to God or seizing all that life has for you. I hate to even make a comparison like this (mostly because I don't usually find these kinds of comparisons to be helpful) but this book and Bittersweet, by Shauna Niequist probably fall in the same category of "Christian semi-devotional semi-autobiographical works that will make you cry because they're SO RELATABLE."
If you are searching for answers from God in your single season (or if you just really like reading about cringe-worthy setups because, c'mon, that's pretty fun) I recommend you peek into Stephanie's journey by reading this book. You might just find something that speaks to your heart.
January 5, 2016
I know you, God seemed to be saying, and I know that if you stored away my provision, you would forget the one who gave it to you in the first place. I will give the grace you need. Just enough for today!
No I am not dating. I am happily married (we have had our share of happy and not so much) and have been for over 30 years but I have to tell you, what I have learned from Stephanie Rische's account on dating and waiting for Mr. Right has taught me much about my own broken heart. She has shared her longing for a husband to share her life with, have kids, and grow old with. A marriage where she is known and she knows another. That is the longing for all of our hearts and I think that need also drives us to the feet of Jesus. It is the waiting that we all share whether we are married or not. We are always waiting for something...better...something to make us more complete....something to make us more happier. It is in the waiting we learn to trust and wait on God and His timing. It is in the waiting we draw closer to Him and desire to know him better.
There is also humor in waiting and I appreciated the wit and humor of the "blond dates" that with a Ebenezer rock with a name written on it ended up as a tangible symbol of God's faithfulness. The torture of a blind date and checking off the list can do damage to anyone's well being. But in those blind dates, how do you learn about God's faithfulness. In the same way, it is not always the successes in life, but in the failures that I cling to who God is. What a great reminder.
This is not another testimony about being single but about the gospel. I love when a testimony speaks to my heart as well. My longings for God's presence and how my desires turn into what God desires. Rische reminds us a sermon on marriage or a book on marriage only isolates those that are single, divorced, or whose spouse does not go to church. It is in the how to we lose the Gospel.
Some quotes that I found encouraging.
The Psalms never answered why. Instead they answered another question. Who? Who is this God we're praying to? Who am I in relation to this big God?
As a family of one, I could embrace parts of the abundant life that my married friend couldn't. And there were aspects of abundance that she as a mother of 2.5 kids, could experience that I couldn't. But we were both sheep in the same pasture, led by the same shepherd.
Maybe that's the definition of true contentment; choosing to rest in who God is, regardless of the circumstances.
I was truly blessed by this sweet and humorous testimony and reminded that our true longings are of God.
A Special Thank You to Tyndale House Publishing and Netgalley for the ARC and the opportunity to post an honest review.
No I am not dating. I am happily married (we have had our share of happy and not so much) and have been for over 30 years but I have to tell you, what I have learned from Stephanie Rische's account on dating and waiting for Mr. Right has taught me much about my own broken heart. She has shared her longing for a husband to share her life with, have kids, and grow old with. A marriage where she is known and she knows another. That is the longing for all of our hearts and I think that need also drives us to the feet of Jesus. It is the waiting that we all share whether we are married or not. We are always waiting for something...better...something to make us more complete....something to make us more happier. It is in the waiting we learn to trust and wait on God and His timing. It is in the waiting we draw closer to Him and desire to know him better.
There is also humor in waiting and I appreciated the wit and humor of the "blond dates" that with a Ebenezer rock with a name written on it ended up as a tangible symbol of God's faithfulness. The torture of a blind date and checking off the list can do damage to anyone's well being. But in those blind dates, how do you learn about God's faithfulness. In the same way, it is not always the successes in life, but in the failures that I cling to who God is. What a great reminder.
This is not another testimony about being single but about the gospel. I love when a testimony speaks to my heart as well. My longings for God's presence and how my desires turn into what God desires. Rische reminds us a sermon on marriage or a book on marriage only isolates those that are single, divorced, or whose spouse does not go to church. It is in the how to we lose the Gospel.
Some quotes that I found encouraging.
The Psalms never answered why. Instead they answered another question. Who? Who is this God we're praying to? Who am I in relation to this big God?
As a family of one, I could embrace parts of the abundant life that my married friend couldn't. And there were aspects of abundance that she as a mother of 2.5 kids, could experience that I couldn't. But we were both sheep in the same pasture, led by the same shepherd.
Maybe that's the definition of true contentment; choosing to rest in who God is, regardless of the circumstances.
I was truly blessed by this sweet and humorous testimony and reminded that our true longings are of God.
A Special Thank You to Tyndale House Publishing and Netgalley for the ARC and the opportunity to post an honest review.
December 9, 2025
Very relatable, couldn’t have read it at a better time.
May 29, 2016
This book wasn't what I had expected when I selected it from the library. I was expecting it to have more comedic elements to it. That being said, I wasn't at all disappointed by it either. I actually quite enjoyed it. Stephanie has a rich perspective of what it means to be single in a church that is dominated by families (FYI, she is Christian). She is set up by various people in her life and this book is a story of 8 different blind dates and the lessons she learned from dating those individuals.
More than a dating perspective, Stephanie shares a very personal spiritual journey she takes through the lens of these dates. The spiritual journey is what I ended up being most interested in. In my own life, I am single in a church that is dominated by families. Since my divorce, I've dated off and on with little success but I've gained a few funny stories here and there. I, too, am undertaking a spiritual journey although mine is more of a quest to regain my faith as it seems to have disappeared during the last few years. As I read Stephanie's experiences, her trials and blessings and lessons, I felt uplifted and cheered. I felt a flicker of something that I hadn't felt in a while.
A few favorite parts/lines/things I want to remember.
"Advent wasn't a pretty wreath or a glowing ring of candles. It was holding your breath. ....
And in that moment, an epiphany of sorts came to me. Why not celebrate four weeks of Advent now? Sure, the calendar was all wrong and Christmas was already in the rearview mirror, but maybe I needed to declare a personal Advent--a few weeks of dedicating myself to waiting well, Simeon style. ...
The first one (candle) is for hope. The second, love. The candle for the week--the lone pink one--stands for joy. And the last one is for peace. Each morning, I'd get up before dawn and light a candle, asking God for one of those four gifts. I'd pray that my waiting wouldn't be stagnant, that it would instead be infused with hope, with love, with joy, with peace."
"So I had a choice about what I was going to put my faith in: statistics of the God who brought victory to an against-all-odds army. Would I trust my own strength or the God who also brought Sarah a son when she was ninety years old, the God who added 3,000 people to the church in a single day in the book of Acts, the God who rose from the dead after three days? If he was big enough for those kinds of miraculous numbers, maybe he was big enough to handle the scary numbers in my life too."
"But now, I decided, it was time to get a grown-up couch. Not so much for the feng shui of the room or to meet some unspoken set of interior decorating standards, but as a symbol that I wanted to really embrace my right-now life. Not my someday-when-I-have-a-husband life." (note: this is something I've really struggled with--putting my life "on hold" since I've felt I've been in a transitory place in my life. One of my ways of embracing my own right-now life? I just purchased tickets for a trip to DC in the fall. No more waiting!!)
"I knew what it was like to get my hopes up, only to have them shattered on the rocks of real life. ....
And I didn't have an answer to my predicament: Was there any compelling reason to hope? I thought about Emily Dickinson's famous poem that describes hope as "the thing with feathers/That perches in the soul." .... Like Emily, I treated hope like so much wishful thinking, a feather that fell haphazardly wherever it chose. ...
After doing a little more digging about hope, I was intrigued to discover that in church history, the image used to depict the idea was pretty much the opposite of a feather: an anchor. Up until around the fifth century AD, the anchor was one of the main symbols for Christianity, more prevalent than a cross. Believers in the first century even had the image of an anchor etched into their tombs as a symbol of the eternal hope they clung to. ....
What if hope wasn't so much about the thing I was hoping for itself but a tether to keep me close to God, the granter of hopes? Without hope, I'd drift aimlessly in the big ocean of doubt and fear and uncertainty. Hope was a good thing, but only when it was anchored in a person, not a circumstance."
More than a dating perspective, Stephanie shares a very personal spiritual journey she takes through the lens of these dates. The spiritual journey is what I ended up being most interested in. In my own life, I am single in a church that is dominated by families. Since my divorce, I've dated off and on with little success but I've gained a few funny stories here and there. I, too, am undertaking a spiritual journey although mine is more of a quest to regain my faith as it seems to have disappeared during the last few years. As I read Stephanie's experiences, her trials and blessings and lessons, I felt uplifted and cheered. I felt a flicker of something that I hadn't felt in a while.
A few favorite parts/lines/things I want to remember.
"Advent wasn't a pretty wreath or a glowing ring of candles. It was holding your breath. ....
And in that moment, an epiphany of sorts came to me. Why not celebrate four weeks of Advent now? Sure, the calendar was all wrong and Christmas was already in the rearview mirror, but maybe I needed to declare a personal Advent--a few weeks of dedicating myself to waiting well, Simeon style. ...
The first one (candle) is for hope. The second, love. The candle for the week--the lone pink one--stands for joy. And the last one is for peace. Each morning, I'd get up before dawn and light a candle, asking God for one of those four gifts. I'd pray that my waiting wouldn't be stagnant, that it would instead be infused with hope, with love, with joy, with peace."
"So I had a choice about what I was going to put my faith in: statistics of the God who brought victory to an against-all-odds army. Would I trust my own strength or the God who also brought Sarah a son when she was ninety years old, the God who added 3,000 people to the church in a single day in the book of Acts, the God who rose from the dead after three days? If he was big enough for those kinds of miraculous numbers, maybe he was big enough to handle the scary numbers in my life too."
"But now, I decided, it was time to get a grown-up couch. Not so much for the feng shui of the room or to meet some unspoken set of interior decorating standards, but as a symbol that I wanted to really embrace my right-now life. Not my someday-when-I-have-a-husband life." (note: this is something I've really struggled with--putting my life "on hold" since I've felt I've been in a transitory place in my life. One of my ways of embracing my own right-now life? I just purchased tickets for a trip to DC in the fall. No more waiting!!)
"I knew what it was like to get my hopes up, only to have them shattered on the rocks of real life. ....
And I didn't have an answer to my predicament: Was there any compelling reason to hope? I thought about Emily Dickinson's famous poem that describes hope as "the thing with feathers/That perches in the soul." .... Like Emily, I treated hope like so much wishful thinking, a feather that fell haphazardly wherever it chose. ...
After doing a little more digging about hope, I was intrigued to discover that in church history, the image used to depict the idea was pretty much the opposite of a feather: an anchor. Up until around the fifth century AD, the anchor was one of the main symbols for Christianity, more prevalent than a cross. Believers in the first century even had the image of an anchor etched into their tombs as a symbol of the eternal hope they clung to. ....
What if hope wasn't so much about the thing I was hoping for itself but a tether to keep me close to God, the granter of hopes? Without hope, I'd drift aimlessly in the big ocean of doubt and fear and uncertainty. Hope was a good thing, but only when it was anchored in a person, not a circumstance."
July 20, 2016
This was one of the most perfect books I could ever read, especially at this time of my life. I truly believe the Lord brought this book into my life right now because He knew how much I would gain from it. So many fabulous quotes. Great personal connections to spiritual and scriptural stories and experiences that the author shared. Open and honest, with humor and understanding on my part because I know exactly what she has been through--since I have been and still am going through it. Loved the religious aspect, because I cannot see my dating life without that being a part of it. Wonderful ideas to put in to play to help me right now on my journey in the desert. So, so, so good.
February 4, 2023
Such a good book! I liked the way that it was laid out in many different little stories. It was also extremely relatable to someone in their early thirties who has dated ALL the wrong men, to go and find that my person was not who I had expected (in a good way). Highly recommend!
May 4, 2016
What the back cover says:
Eight setups. Eight awkward dates. Eight things God tried to teach her along the way. (Some of which she’s still trying to figure out.)
Stephanie Rische was starting to feel invisible. All around her, her friends were getting married, and she found herself decidedly alone. Stephanie couldn’t help but wonder if there was something broken in her―was she not pretty enough? Not fun enough? Not dateable enough (whatever that meant)? So she started praying in earnest for God to bring the right man into her life. And instead, He brought her matchmakers. Eight of them, to be precise.
Beloved blogger Stephanie Rische debuts with this charming, vulnerable, and (who are we kidding?) often mortifying true story of a girl who tried really hard to find someone to fall in love with―even when she mostly just ended up falling flat on her face. But amid the most cringeworthy setups and awkward encounters, Stephanie found God’s grace and love meeting her there in ways she never could have imagined―once she opened her eyes to see.
Who Wrote it:
Stephanie Rische is a senior editor of nonfiction books at Tyndale House Publishers, as well as a freelance writer for various publications, including Today's Christian Woman, Today's Christian Living magazine, Marriage Partnership, and her.meneutics. She and her husband, Daniel, live in the Chicago area, where they enjoy riding their bikes, making homemade ice cream, and swapping bad puns. She has several little princesses in her life, including her much-loved nieces. She blogs at stephanierische.com.
My Thoughts:
Ok let me just say that this book was not what I thought it was going to be it was so much better this was a very beautifully written book. I do love how I was completely in my feelings with this book I felt like I was laugh out loud yet at the same time I wanted to shake her. I love how the lord was there every step of the way to guide her. The lessons learned in this book can be learned by a lot of people. I'm so happy she finally found love in Daniel. I highly recommend this book I really enjoyed every moment of it.
Star Rating:
Overall I give I Was Blind (Dating), But Now I See... 5 STARS
(I received this copy from Tyndale Publishing for free in return for my honest review)
Eight setups. Eight awkward dates. Eight things God tried to teach her along the way. (Some of which she’s still trying to figure out.)
Stephanie Rische was starting to feel invisible. All around her, her friends were getting married, and she found herself decidedly alone. Stephanie couldn’t help but wonder if there was something broken in her―was she not pretty enough? Not fun enough? Not dateable enough (whatever that meant)? So she started praying in earnest for God to bring the right man into her life. And instead, He brought her matchmakers. Eight of them, to be precise.
Beloved blogger Stephanie Rische debuts with this charming, vulnerable, and (who are we kidding?) often mortifying true story of a girl who tried really hard to find someone to fall in love with―even when she mostly just ended up falling flat on her face. But amid the most cringeworthy setups and awkward encounters, Stephanie found God’s grace and love meeting her there in ways she never could have imagined―once she opened her eyes to see.
Who Wrote it:
Stephanie Rische is a senior editor of nonfiction books at Tyndale House Publishers, as well as a freelance writer for various publications, including Today's Christian Woman, Today's Christian Living magazine, Marriage Partnership, and her.meneutics. She and her husband, Daniel, live in the Chicago area, where they enjoy riding their bikes, making homemade ice cream, and swapping bad puns. She has several little princesses in her life, including her much-loved nieces. She blogs at stephanierische.com.
My Thoughts:
Ok let me just say that this book was not what I thought it was going to be it was so much better this was a very beautifully written book. I do love how I was completely in my feelings with this book I felt like I was laugh out loud yet at the same time I wanted to shake her. I love how the lord was there every step of the way to guide her. The lessons learned in this book can be learned by a lot of people. I'm so happy she finally found love in Daniel. I highly recommend this book I really enjoyed every moment of it.
Star Rating:
Overall I give I Was Blind (Dating), But Now I See... 5 STARS
(I received this copy from Tyndale Publishing for free in return for my honest review)
January 19, 2016
RESEÑA COMPLETA EN ESPAÑOL
If you are single, this book is for you.
Let's be honest: Time passes and there comes a time when it seems as if everyone cared about your ‘singleness’ as if it were a disease which you need to be cured. The problem arises when you start to believe what others say and start worrying about being alone.
If this is not your case, then I'm happy for you and I congratulate you; but if you feel identified, then this book is for you.
I was blind (dating) but now I see is a book full of humor, honesty and much hope. The author is very sincere in sharing their own experiences with dating, and thus makes the reader feel identified.
This book made me laugh, reflect and opened my eyes to the Bible because it taught me what it teaches about God's love. This is not the typical book for singles, but has many biblical foundation that teaches you to stop thinking about singleness as a problem, and fix your eyes on God and rest in His promises.
-I recieved a copy from the publisher in exchange for my honest opinion-
If you are single, this book is for you.
Let's be honest: Time passes and there comes a time when it seems as if everyone cared about your ‘singleness’ as if it were a disease which you need to be cured. The problem arises when you start to believe what others say and start worrying about being alone.
If this is not your case, then I'm happy for you and I congratulate you; but if you feel identified, then this book is for you.
I was blind (dating) but now I see is a book full of humor, honesty and much hope. The author is very sincere in sharing their own experiences with dating, and thus makes the reader feel identified.
This book made me laugh, reflect and opened my eyes to the Bible because it taught me what it teaches about God's love. This is not the typical book for singles, but has many biblical foundation that teaches you to stop thinking about singleness as a problem, and fix your eyes on God and rest in His promises.
-I recieved a copy from the publisher in exchange for my honest opinion-
March 11, 2016
One of my favorite books of 2016, "I Was Blind (Dating), But Now I See" is the story not only of Stephanie Rische's "Misadventures in Dating, Waiting, and Stumbling into Love" but also of the life lessons God taught her during this season of her life. Both single and married readers will be encouraged that, no matter what they may be waiting for, God can give them the grace to make the most of their days, even if it feels like their lives have been put on hold. Rische is a gifted writer who brings both wisdom and humor to her memoir.
December 4, 2020
This book is like reading my heart and soul on a page. She asked the same questions I’ve asked and felt the same things I’ve felt. I laughed and I cried. It hit me deep and I believe this is one of those times when God knew I needed to read this right now.
I’m going to buy a physical copy to mark up and reference as needed but man, this was a good book!!!
I’m going to buy a physical copy to mark up and reference as needed but man, this was a good book!!!
January 23, 2016
I Was Blind (Dating), But Now I See: My Misadventures In Dating, Waiting, And Stumbling Into Love, by Stephanie Rische
[Note: This book was provided free of charge by Tyndale Montemum in exchange for an honest review.]
Although this book, like many that I read [1], is written by and clearly aimed at an audience of women, it has a degree of relevance to my own life that is rather frightening. There is a great and unpleasant truth at the heart of this particular book. One the one hand, this book is written about the author's immensely awkward experiences in blind dating over the course of several years in the mid-to-late twenties and early thirties, and it is awkward enough that it would not be difficult to imagine a romantic comedy being made out of this material in the not very distant future, as it makes for the perfect material for a true-life Christian romance comedy on the order of Bridget Jones' Diary. On the other hand, this book was written not while the author was in the midst of the immensely awkward era of trying to live a godly and decent life despite the frustration of being interminably single and the subject of the misguided matchmaking of her friends and coworkers, a problem that not only women can identify with, but after she had found her husband. It is therefore a book aimed at comforting those who are still in the process of waiting, with the implied promise that if one holds on long enough and learns how to live wisely enough, that this too shall pass and the reader will presumably find their prince, since this book seems to assume that the only people who read this kind of book are women. In that light, it is a bit awkward that the book has so much material that is of alarming personal relevance to my own life [2].
The author is one of the editors of Tyndale Press, a publisher I often read and review books for, and is not only a good editor, but is also a very solid writer as well, writing a memoir of awkward single life that is also a book of faith. In terms of its structure, the book is organized around 8 blind dates, where the names have been hidden to protect the guilty. The author uses humorous nicknames for the various blind dates, from "blond guy" to "linebaker" to "Mr. Very," and those men are surely not going to be pleased about what is written about most of them. The eight sections of the book are divided as follows: waiting, faithfulness, community, hope, prayer, gratitude, joy, and journey, ending with an epilogue about the blind date where she met her husband. At nearly 300 pages long, this book has time for a lot of awkwardness, and manages to find it in prayer meetings, a detailed inventory of her bridesmaid dresses, which seems to be a thing among singleton women, and a discussion of how she became the spinster older sister when both of her younger siblings married before she did.
This book is an extended reflection on prolonged singlehood as a dark night of the soul, something that many people can relate to. It examines the ways that churches, in their assumption that most people are married, tend to be places where singles often feel less than fully appreciated. It examines the way that it is hard to get perspective, and that one feels happier when one is devoted to service and to praying on behalf of other people, except when their own struggles are unsuccessful too. It examines the way that people who are single try to avoid the problem of loneliness, how it is hard to recognize God's presence in hard times, and how one needs both kindness as well as accountability. It is the struggle of an educated and somewhat shy woman to find a good man, and to become an even better woman in the time spent single. Of course, it is written as a happy story in large part because the author is looking back on the past, not looking at the present, and in that it reminds us that singlehood is a time best appreciated, like most parts of life, when it is already gone.
[1] See, for example:
https://edgeinducedcohesion.wordpress...
https://edgeinducedcohesion.wordpress...
https://edgeinducedcohesion.wordpress...
https://edgeinducedcohesion.wordpress...
https://edgeinducedcohesion.wordpress...
https://edgeinducedcohesion.wordpress...
https://edgeinducedcohesion.wordpress...
https://edgeinducedcohesion.wordpress...
https://edgeinducedcohesion.wordpress...
https://edgeinducedcohesion.wordpress...
https://edgeinducedcohesion.wordpress...
https://edgeinducedcohesion.wordpress...
https://edgeinducedcohesion.wordpress...
[2] Here are some quotes to provide examples:
"Is it just me or does the term blind date make you want to curl up in the fetal position due to post-traumatic stress? Anyone who has ever experienced that particular brand of awkwardness won't soon forget it. And if any subject is worthy of a book, this is it. Especially when most blind dates are set up by well-meaning married people who happen to know two single people and decide they should be totally compatible simply because they're both single. What could possibly go wrong (xv)?"
"Whenever my rationalizations crept in, I'd remind myself that my role model in this hospitality gig wasn't Martha Stewart. It was Jesus. If a thirtysomething bachelor with no fine china and no dining room could live a life of hospitality, I figured I had no more excuses. I'd have to do the best I could with what I had during this season, even if it looked different from what I'd imagined. And even if it meant I'd have to break out a store-bought pie for dessert (91)."
"One typical Monday morning I went to my work mailbox and found an interoffice envelope with another envelope inside it, the smaller one clearly having been opened and resealed with tape several times, as if the sender had been second-guessing whether to send it.
My stomach went sour the minute I opened it. It was from one of my coworkers, a seasoned and respected man who I knew was married with several children. The note was filled with unsolicited praise for me...but not about my work. It gushed about my personality, my talents, my appearance. It didn't quality as sexual harassment, but it felt completely out of line. It made me feel like I was getting dragged into something shameful and ugly. Yes, I wanted to be told I was beautiful--but not by a married man.
My first reaction was a mixture of horror and guilt. Had I done something to indicate that this kind of communication would be welcome? I was sure I'd done nothing to solicit attention like this. I felt angry, exposed, vulnerable (152-153)."
"Over my lunch break that day, I checked my e-mail and found an invitation to join a group from my church on a two-week trip to Thailand. The purpose of the trip was to work alongside an organization in Bangkok that assisted women trapped in the sex industry. The group would be going to the red-light district and offering hope to the women there--connecting girls on the streets with an established organization and teaching English and practical skills to women who had gotten out of the industry and were looking to rebuild their lives (194)."
Dietrich Bonhoeffer [3] said that the defining characteristic of followers of Christ is that they bear one another's burdens. "It is only when he is a burden that another person is really a brother...God took men upon Himself and they weighted Him to the ground, but God remained with them and they with God. In bearing with men God maintained fellowship with them (221)."
[3] See, for example:
https://edgeinducedcohesion.wordpress...
https://edgeinducedcohesion.wordpress...
[Note: This book was provided free of charge by Tyndale Montemum in exchange for an honest review.]
Although this book, like many that I read [1], is written by and clearly aimed at an audience of women, it has a degree of relevance to my own life that is rather frightening. There is a great and unpleasant truth at the heart of this particular book. One the one hand, this book is written about the author's immensely awkward experiences in blind dating over the course of several years in the mid-to-late twenties and early thirties, and it is awkward enough that it would not be difficult to imagine a romantic comedy being made out of this material in the not very distant future, as it makes for the perfect material for a true-life Christian romance comedy on the order of Bridget Jones' Diary. On the other hand, this book was written not while the author was in the midst of the immensely awkward era of trying to live a godly and decent life despite the frustration of being interminably single and the subject of the misguided matchmaking of her friends and coworkers, a problem that not only women can identify with, but after she had found her husband. It is therefore a book aimed at comforting those who are still in the process of waiting, with the implied promise that if one holds on long enough and learns how to live wisely enough, that this too shall pass and the reader will presumably find their prince, since this book seems to assume that the only people who read this kind of book are women. In that light, it is a bit awkward that the book has so much material that is of alarming personal relevance to my own life [2].
The author is one of the editors of Tyndale Press, a publisher I often read and review books for, and is not only a good editor, but is also a very solid writer as well, writing a memoir of awkward single life that is also a book of faith. In terms of its structure, the book is organized around 8 blind dates, where the names have been hidden to protect the guilty. The author uses humorous nicknames for the various blind dates, from "blond guy" to "linebaker" to "Mr. Very," and those men are surely not going to be pleased about what is written about most of them. The eight sections of the book are divided as follows: waiting, faithfulness, community, hope, prayer, gratitude, joy, and journey, ending with an epilogue about the blind date where she met her husband. At nearly 300 pages long, this book has time for a lot of awkwardness, and manages to find it in prayer meetings, a detailed inventory of her bridesmaid dresses, which seems to be a thing among singleton women, and a discussion of how she became the spinster older sister when both of her younger siblings married before she did.
This book is an extended reflection on prolonged singlehood as a dark night of the soul, something that many people can relate to. It examines the ways that churches, in their assumption that most people are married, tend to be places where singles often feel less than fully appreciated. It examines the way that it is hard to get perspective, and that one feels happier when one is devoted to service and to praying on behalf of other people, except when their own struggles are unsuccessful too. It examines the way that people who are single try to avoid the problem of loneliness, how it is hard to recognize God's presence in hard times, and how one needs both kindness as well as accountability. It is the struggle of an educated and somewhat shy woman to find a good man, and to become an even better woman in the time spent single. Of course, it is written as a happy story in large part because the author is looking back on the past, not looking at the present, and in that it reminds us that singlehood is a time best appreciated, like most parts of life, when it is already gone.
[1] See, for example:
https://edgeinducedcohesion.wordpress...
https://edgeinducedcohesion.wordpress...
https://edgeinducedcohesion.wordpress...
https://edgeinducedcohesion.wordpress...
https://edgeinducedcohesion.wordpress...
https://edgeinducedcohesion.wordpress...
https://edgeinducedcohesion.wordpress...
https://edgeinducedcohesion.wordpress...
https://edgeinducedcohesion.wordpress...
https://edgeinducedcohesion.wordpress...
https://edgeinducedcohesion.wordpress...
https://edgeinducedcohesion.wordpress...
https://edgeinducedcohesion.wordpress...
[2] Here are some quotes to provide examples:
"Is it just me or does the term blind date make you want to curl up in the fetal position due to post-traumatic stress? Anyone who has ever experienced that particular brand of awkwardness won't soon forget it. And if any subject is worthy of a book, this is it. Especially when most blind dates are set up by well-meaning married people who happen to know two single people and decide they should be totally compatible simply because they're both single. What could possibly go wrong (xv)?"
"Whenever my rationalizations crept in, I'd remind myself that my role model in this hospitality gig wasn't Martha Stewart. It was Jesus. If a thirtysomething bachelor with no fine china and no dining room could live a life of hospitality, I figured I had no more excuses. I'd have to do the best I could with what I had during this season, even if it looked different from what I'd imagined. And even if it meant I'd have to break out a store-bought pie for dessert (91)."
"One typical Monday morning I went to my work mailbox and found an interoffice envelope with another envelope inside it, the smaller one clearly having been opened and resealed with tape several times, as if the sender had been second-guessing whether to send it.
My stomach went sour the minute I opened it. It was from one of my coworkers, a seasoned and respected man who I knew was married with several children. The note was filled with unsolicited praise for me...but not about my work. It gushed about my personality, my talents, my appearance. It didn't quality as sexual harassment, but it felt completely out of line. It made me feel like I was getting dragged into something shameful and ugly. Yes, I wanted to be told I was beautiful--but not by a married man.
My first reaction was a mixture of horror and guilt. Had I done something to indicate that this kind of communication would be welcome? I was sure I'd done nothing to solicit attention like this. I felt angry, exposed, vulnerable (152-153)."
"Over my lunch break that day, I checked my e-mail and found an invitation to join a group from my church on a two-week trip to Thailand. The purpose of the trip was to work alongside an organization in Bangkok that assisted women trapped in the sex industry. The group would be going to the red-light district and offering hope to the women there--connecting girls on the streets with an established organization and teaching English and practical skills to women who had gotten out of the industry and were looking to rebuild their lives (194)."
Dietrich Bonhoeffer [3] said that the defining characteristic of followers of Christ is that they bear one another's burdens. "It is only when he is a burden that another person is really a brother...God took men upon Himself and they weighted Him to the ground, but God remained with them and they with God. In bearing with men God maintained fellowship with them (221)."
[3] See, for example:
https://edgeinducedcohesion.wordpress...
https://edgeinducedcohesion.wordpress...
May 15, 2017
I absolutely devoured her book I WAS BLIND (Dating), BUT NOWI SEE. I received this book from Tyndale. I received no financial compensation for this post.
Today Stephanie Rische is visiting Writer’s Corner. I recently devoured her book I WAS BLIND (Dating) BUT NOW I SEE. I feel her message speaks volumes to singles that are on this journey.
Synopsis:
Stephanie shares her journey looking seeking the man of her dreams. She uses stones to mark her path to Mr. Right. The journey may have taken longer than she thought but it was worth it in the end. She also shares what God taught her along the way in the journey. How seeking God’s path is not easy but can be fulfilling at times. How to stay the course when life takes turns you would not have otherwise chosen. What can the reader learn from these experiences?
My Thoughts:
I loved this book! For me it focused on a subject that has been important to me for a long time. The author’s take on her journey is expressed eloquently through each chapter. Readers will identify with her experience. She also touches on what it is like to be single although your heart’s desire is for something more.
The only factor that can change any of these perspectives is God. God can shepherd us through the rough times. Stephanie’s journey shows tremendous growth in spirit. I wish her well as she moves forward in her life.
Today Stephanie Rische is visiting Writer’s Corner. I recently devoured her book I WAS BLIND (Dating) BUT NOW I SEE. I feel her message speaks volumes to singles that are on this journey.
Synopsis:
Stephanie shares her journey looking seeking the man of her dreams. She uses stones to mark her path to Mr. Right. The journey may have taken longer than she thought but it was worth it in the end. She also shares what God taught her along the way in the journey. How seeking God’s path is not easy but can be fulfilling at times. How to stay the course when life takes turns you would not have otherwise chosen. What can the reader learn from these experiences?
My Thoughts:
I loved this book! For me it focused on a subject that has been important to me for a long time. The author’s take on her journey is expressed eloquently through each chapter. Readers will identify with her experience. She also touches on what it is like to be single although your heart’s desire is for something more.
The only factor that can change any of these perspectives is God. God can shepherd us through the rough times. Stephanie’s journey shows tremendous growth in spirit. I wish her well as she moves forward in her life.
January 23, 2022
Despite the cheesy title and slightly dated details (emailing instead of texts and blind dates that are truly blind dates in a time sans social media), this book was SO good. I picked it up at a used bookstore and it’s honestly now one I’ll recommend to others. It’s written in a series of short 1-4 page essays describing the author’s experience as a late-20s Christian single woman, waiting on the Lord for marriage, navigating the aches and pains of bad dates and life changes, and seeing God’s hand of faithfulness in it all. Realistic, funny, and so encouraging! Highly recommend for single women to read as encouragement, and anyone who wants to learn from the author’s experiencing of waiting on the Lord and holding vulnerable desire in surrender when the answer seems to keep being ‘no’ — no matter what you’re waiting on.
July 11, 2025
Wonderfully clean. I love the author's sense of humor! The author does more bible-combing and research than I have patience for in my own Christian walk, and I appreciate her neat and tidy summaries of her Biblical findings. It's somewhat convicting to compare one's own meager biblical practices to the author's. Nice short chapters and intriguingly succinct chapter titles.
My one complaint is that there wasn't more detail in some cases, but the thematic highlights more than compensated for that lack.
My one complaint is that there wasn't more detail in some cases, but the thematic highlights more than compensated for that lack.
August 18, 2017
As a 26 yr. old single lady, I cringe at the thought of reading a Christian book about singleness or dating. So, I surprised myself when I picked up Stephanie's book. I Was Blind Dating But Now I See was so incredibly relatable for me. I laughed, I cried, I said "yes, girl!" at least a thousand times. I love that Stephanie does not launch into a step by step guide on how she met the right guy. She sits with you in singleness, and takes you on her journey. Highly recommend for single ladies!
May 25, 2020
So, yea I loved it, took awhile to finish it though, not because it was boring or anything but because I'm lazy and get distracted. I loved how open and exposed she was on the pages, it helped me relate a lot more. I appreciate how she incorporated the lessons God taught her with each encounter and how she was made it easy to digest. I have to go through the survey at the end soon though. But all in all a good book I would recommend to anybody.
June 19, 2022
I feel like I am not capable of putting into words/doing this book justice as to exactly how delightful and impactful this book was. But I’ll just say this every chapter made me laugh and cry. Stephanie has a wonderful voice that speaks truth in a way that is at times appropriately mournful and joyous. I bought this years ago and never read it, but picked it up for a trip and it came exactly at the right time for me.
July 12, 2021
An encouragement for anyone, but especially for someone who is waiting for a prayer to be answered and finding the challenge overwhelming. God very often answers in surprising ways but always within His own time frame, and He does answer.
I learned the author's consciousness of guidance via the Scriptural injunctions she began to put into place .
I learned the author's consciousness of guidance via the Scriptural injunctions she began to put into place .
June 23, 2025
4.5-4.6 stars. loved the stories and being reminded of how God works. it’s such an encouragement to see how sometimes i too would often box Him in when He is so much more than my thoughts and humanity. He is God after all. What can’t He do? I needed that daily Truth because i’d often forget that.
August 29, 2017
A very inspirational read.
June 29, 2018
A witty type of book.
April 12, 2020
This allows me to understand deeper the waiting season.
April 27, 2023
This book was so entertaining to read and I love how the storyline goes. I love how it always connects with God's words and shares lots of wisdom from daily life.
July 10, 2023
I was given this book by a dear friend. I enjoyed the story. I would not have picked this out for myself.
February 13, 2024
I read this as a Blind Date with a Book program at my library. I enjoyed reading the author's adventures but wish she would have made the ending a little longer.
November 3, 2025
A sweet story devotional. I loved her honesty and how she connected her experiences to spiritual lessons.
March 18, 2017
I laughed and cried with this story-- and then rejoiced with her a little at the end.
February 22, 2016
I don't think I can adequately explain how much I love Stephanie Rische's I Was Blind (Dating), But Now I See, but I will try my hardest to convey that point in this review.
Short version: I LOVED this book. Go buy it for any single woman you know, or for yourself. Trust me!
Long version: It's been a very long time since I've so thoroughly agreed with almost every single word in a book, but I Was Blind (Dating) is one of those books. When I wasn't saying silent (or not so silent) "amens", I was rolling in laughter. Rische has the incredible skill of combining comedy and gut-wrenching truth into her writing. For entertainment value alone, I would recommend this book to any woman.
Do you hear me on that? Any woman, marital status aside. Because it's a hilarious book.
But it's so much more than a funny, feel-good, disastrous-dating-stories book. Rische doesn't offer a method to get a man. She doesn't point to a tried-and-true equation of doing certain things to land the perfect husband. I've read those books, and perhaps you have too, and they've only left me feeling defeated. Rische instead deals with the heart of the matter, digging deep into topics many of us may hide from, but in reality need to find the courage to address.
And while, yes, there are some great dating disaster stories in the book, Rische shares her long journey of dating from a point of complete vulnerability, sharing the depths of her heart. And this book is encouraging beyond belief. Because relationships aren't a set of instructions to follow, or equations to figure out. They happen in a messy world with messy people who often do silly things.
Rische shares her struggles with remaining single longer than she ever imagined, and how she struggled to deal with expectations and questions from friends, family, and strangers. As a 27 year old, I get it. While I'm in happily in a dating relationship now, I haven't always been, and I totally get where she's coming from, and who she's writing to. Because she's writing to me, a year ago, and I wish I had this book back then.
I highly encourage you to purchase I Was Blind (Dating), But Now I See. Maybe you're single, or not-yet-married. Maybe you've been married ten years but your best friend is wondering what she's doing wrong. Maybe you know a few single ladies in your church who need some affirmation that they are beautiful, wonderful, fantastic ladies who are cherished by an amazing God. But I firmly believe we all know someone who needs this book, so click on over to Amazon and grab your copy today!
Trust me, it's incredible!
I received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher, Tyndale, in exchange for my honest review.
Short version: I LOVED this book. Go buy it for any single woman you know, or for yourself. Trust me!
Long version: It's been a very long time since I've so thoroughly agreed with almost every single word in a book, but I Was Blind (Dating) is one of those books. When I wasn't saying silent (or not so silent) "amens", I was rolling in laughter. Rische has the incredible skill of combining comedy and gut-wrenching truth into her writing. For entertainment value alone, I would recommend this book to any woman.
Do you hear me on that? Any woman, marital status aside. Because it's a hilarious book.
But it's so much more than a funny, feel-good, disastrous-dating-stories book. Rische doesn't offer a method to get a man. She doesn't point to a tried-and-true equation of doing certain things to land the perfect husband. I've read those books, and perhaps you have too, and they've only left me feeling defeated. Rische instead deals with the heart of the matter, digging deep into topics many of us may hide from, but in reality need to find the courage to address.
And while, yes, there are some great dating disaster stories in the book, Rische shares her long journey of dating from a point of complete vulnerability, sharing the depths of her heart. And this book is encouraging beyond belief. Because relationships aren't a set of instructions to follow, or equations to figure out. They happen in a messy world with messy people who often do silly things.
Rische shares her struggles with remaining single longer than she ever imagined, and how she struggled to deal with expectations and questions from friends, family, and strangers. As a 27 year old, I get it. While I'm in happily in a dating relationship now, I haven't always been, and I totally get where she's coming from, and who she's writing to. Because she's writing to me, a year ago, and I wish I had this book back then.
I highly encourage you to purchase I Was Blind (Dating), But Now I See. Maybe you're single, or not-yet-married. Maybe you've been married ten years but your best friend is wondering what she's doing wrong. Maybe you know a few single ladies in your church who need some affirmation that they are beautiful, wonderful, fantastic ladies who are cherished by an amazing God. But I firmly believe we all know someone who needs this book, so click on over to Amazon and grab your copy today!
Trust me, it's incredible!
I received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher, Tyndale, in exchange for my honest review.
February 20, 2016
I have found a treasure, and a new friend. The treasure is a book with the unusual title of “I Was Blind (Dating), But Now I See”, and the friend is a woman named Stephanie Rische, the book’s author. This oh-so-wise, sweetly endearing little volume was published by Tyndale Momentum in January of 2016. What exactly is it about, you ask? I’ll let Stephanie, gifted storyteller that she is, explain:
“This is the story of how I tried really hard to find someone to fall in love with and get him to fall in love with me back—but how I mostly just ended up falling flat on my face. It’s also the story of the unexpected ways God showed up when I finally admitted I couldn’t pull myself up on my own... [A]lthough my story and my blind date adventures may be different from yours, my hope is that as you walk with me through these pages, you too will catch a glimpse of the one whose grace is enough to catch you when you stumble and whose love is deeper than you can fathom.” (pages xvii-xix)
Although this book will certainly resonate most strongly with young, unmarried women, readers outside of this demographic will also find much to enjoy. Divided into eight parts, the book shares poignant portrayals of: Waiting, Faithfulness, Community, Hope, Prayer, Gratitude, Joy, and Journey. Basically, if you have ever waited for something that just never seemed to quite arrive, or if you are in a waiting period right now, this book will speak to your heart and touch your soul. Managing to do so much at once, the voice of each short, to-the-point chapter is tender and sweet, hilarious and candid, but most of all it is real; very, very real. At the same time, it is a beautiful story in every sense of the word; plot, characters, and setting included. Stephanie allows readers to step into her shoes and peer into her heart, where we discover that her story really isn’t any different than ours; at least, not in the ways that matter.
How she crafted this masterpiece I will never know. But I do know that Stephanie’s voice isn’t the only one to show up on the pages... God’s voice is also found there, and will speak to any reader with a heart open to listen. Undeniably there are a few (very few) portions that may cause modest young ladies to wince, and wish a few particular words hadn’t been included, but these barely detract from an otherwise stellar book. Overall, if you are in a season of waiting, well, there is one thing you should NOT wait to do... Find a copy of “I Was Blind (Dating), But Now I See”, and discover both a precious treasure and a friend of your own.
I was given a copy of this book, free of charge, in exchange for an honest review. I extend my heartfelt thanks to the Tyndale Publicity Team for sending it to me!
“This is the story of how I tried really hard to find someone to fall in love with and get him to fall in love with me back—but how I mostly just ended up falling flat on my face. It’s also the story of the unexpected ways God showed up when I finally admitted I couldn’t pull myself up on my own... [A]lthough my story and my blind date adventures may be different from yours, my hope is that as you walk with me through these pages, you too will catch a glimpse of the one whose grace is enough to catch you when you stumble and whose love is deeper than you can fathom.” (pages xvii-xix)
Although this book will certainly resonate most strongly with young, unmarried women, readers outside of this demographic will also find much to enjoy. Divided into eight parts, the book shares poignant portrayals of: Waiting, Faithfulness, Community, Hope, Prayer, Gratitude, Joy, and Journey. Basically, if you have ever waited for something that just never seemed to quite arrive, or if you are in a waiting period right now, this book will speak to your heart and touch your soul. Managing to do so much at once, the voice of each short, to-the-point chapter is tender and sweet, hilarious and candid, but most of all it is real; very, very real. At the same time, it is a beautiful story in every sense of the word; plot, characters, and setting included. Stephanie allows readers to step into her shoes and peer into her heart, where we discover that her story really isn’t any different than ours; at least, not in the ways that matter.
How she crafted this masterpiece I will never know. But I do know that Stephanie’s voice isn’t the only one to show up on the pages... God’s voice is also found there, and will speak to any reader with a heart open to listen. Undeniably there are a few (very few) portions that may cause modest young ladies to wince, and wish a few particular words hadn’t been included, but these barely detract from an otherwise stellar book. Overall, if you are in a season of waiting, well, there is one thing you should NOT wait to do... Find a copy of “I Was Blind (Dating), But Now I See”, and discover both a precious treasure and a friend of your own.
I was given a copy of this book, free of charge, in exchange for an honest review. I extend my heartfelt thanks to the Tyndale Publicity Team for sending it to me!
February 1, 2016
Have you ever felt alone while it seems as if all your friends are getting married and having babies wondering if you’ll ever have that chance? Stephanie Rische completely understands. In fact, she found herself wondering if there was something wrong with her – was she not pretty enough? Not fun enough? Not datable enough? So she turned to God as she began to pray earnestly for God to bring the man she was meant to marry into her life.
Instead, she was given eight matchmakers.
I Was Blind (Dating), but Now I See is a true story about a young woman who tried really hard to find someone she could fall in love with despite the fact that she kept falling flat on her face. Amid the most cringe-worthy and awkward situations, Stephanie’s journey shows how God’s grace and love can meet us in ways we never could have imagined. We just have to open our eyes in order to see it.
I was skeptical of this book upon reading because I was thought it was going to be another guide for dating. While some of Stephanie’s stories relate to dating, it’s not about dating at all! She focuses mostly on life in general. It’s also more about learning to embrace God’s love and grace for us.
She explains that it isn’t a bad thing to want to get married but until we can learn to fill that longing for somebody to love us, we will never be satisfied. Only God can satisfy us.
I also loved how she explained that while others may make us feel as if we aren’t good enough, God thinks we’re good enough. In fact, He created us in our image. People may come and go and change, but God never will. God LOVES you and me!
This is a book that holds a lot of, “What you too?!” moments. Stephanie is very real in sharing and many readers will relate. She makes the reader feel as if she is an older sister or a close personal friend as she shares her experiences. She shares both her highs and lows of her story. She also does not wallow or pity herself or try to make everything sound easy and cheerful. I felt as if she completely understood me. She also appreciates and finds humor in the evidence of God working in her life along the way. This book encouraged me and I hope it encourages you too!
Note: I received a copy of this book from the publisher for my honest review, which I have given. I was not required to write a positive review and have not been compensated for it in any way. All opinions expressed are my own.
Instead, she was given eight matchmakers.
I Was Blind (Dating), but Now I See is a true story about a young woman who tried really hard to find someone she could fall in love with despite the fact that she kept falling flat on her face. Amid the most cringe-worthy and awkward situations, Stephanie’s journey shows how God’s grace and love can meet us in ways we never could have imagined. We just have to open our eyes in order to see it.
I was skeptical of this book upon reading because I was thought it was going to be another guide for dating. While some of Stephanie’s stories relate to dating, it’s not about dating at all! She focuses mostly on life in general. It’s also more about learning to embrace God’s love and grace for us.
She explains that it isn’t a bad thing to want to get married but until we can learn to fill that longing for somebody to love us, we will never be satisfied. Only God can satisfy us.
I also loved how she explained that while others may make us feel as if we aren’t good enough, God thinks we’re good enough. In fact, He created us in our image. People may come and go and change, but God never will. God LOVES you and me!
This is a book that holds a lot of, “What you too?!” moments. Stephanie is very real in sharing and many readers will relate. She makes the reader feel as if she is an older sister or a close personal friend as she shares her experiences. She shares both her highs and lows of her story. She also does not wallow or pity herself or try to make everything sound easy and cheerful. I felt as if she completely understood me. She also appreciates and finds humor in the evidence of God working in her life along the way. This book encouraged me and I hope it encourages you too!
Note: I received a copy of this book from the publisher for my honest review, which I have given. I was not required to write a positive review and have not been compensated for it in any way. All opinions expressed are my own.
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