u/HereButNeverPresent — reddlx

For context: Nobody at my church knows I’m SSA except my pastor.

A young lady at church took interest in me and asked me on a date. Even some of the older ladies at church encouraged us to pursue each other, saying we’d be a good fit. I convinced myself that my heart was interested cos she’s objectively beautiful, kind, confident, has unique interests and is very knowledgeable about them. Whenever we met up at church, I always enjoyed her company and it felt effortless to chat with her about anything.

But once we went on a proper date (we went to a street festival), I caught myself offguard cos the dynamic changed. Now there’s an anticipation to make our usual conversations more romantic, which I just had no feeling in doing…. Like there was a complete mental wall and I couldn’t see past it.

She’d invite me to hug/hold her, and take pictures together. And I really just felt nothing romantic the entire time. My brain kept seeing her only as a friend or sister. (She still enjoyed the date, and we had good food and conversations, and I bought her some gifts.)

Even though I’ve dreamt of being a husband and father, I’m just accepting now that it’s simply not the life God’s planned for me. Idk just needed a space to share my thoughts. Thanks for reading.

Avatar: The Last Airbender (2005)

The Avatar (Roku) served as the spiritual leader of the world until his untimely death. The same year of his passing, the Fire Nation begins a global war, and the world hopes for Roku’s reincarnation to restore peace. The Fire Nation commits a genocide on the Air Temples to suppress his reincarnation, and the world assumes the Avatar is dead forever.

100 years pass and a Water Tribe girl (Katara) discovers the reincarnated Avatar (Aang) frozen in an iceberg. Within a year, he ends the war and the two develop into lovers.

The Lion King (1994)

Mufasa is the King of the Pride Lands. In a plan to usurp the throne, Mufasa’s brother, Scar, kills him and frames his son, Simba. Simba becomes a runaway, left to die in the desert. The kingdom assumes both are dead, and under Scar’s reign, they become destitute.

A few years pass and a travelling lioness, Nala, discovers Simba alive in a foreign land. They fall in love and have a newfound hope in his destiny as the rightful king. He returns to the Pride Lands to challenge Scar and retake the throne. The kingdom returns to prosperity.

The Gospel (c. 70)

Jesus of Nazareth serves as a spiritual teacher to the people of Judea, calling himself the ‘Son of Man’, and appointing 12 apostles to witness his message. The people reject his message and have him crucified under Roman authority, leaving his followers to scatter. His death appeared final, and his movement effectively over.

3 days pass, and his ‘closest’ female follower, Mary of Magdala, is the first to visit his tomb to discover it’s empty. Jesus appears before her, divinely resurrected, with a message of his heavenly ascension. She tells the apostles, and hope is restored as they spread his message across nations of the world.