It can, but will it?

The title is in reference to a phrase I'll come back to later. For now, however, on to the topic I wanted to talk about.
I wrote a post a while back about Christians dating/being in a relationship with non-Christians. I believe that at that point I didn't say a whole lot about it, but did say it could get a bit of a sticky mess. I'm not exactly older and wiser - but it is something I've thought about here and there, and a thought has come to me recently that I thought I'd put up.

Probably a good way to start off. I wouldn't date a non-Christian myself. That's been my view for a while now, whether or not other people would or not, I felt like I needed that. But I didn't really have a good explanation of that. Hopefully, however, the one below will make some sense, whether people necessarily agree with it or not.

And no, I'm not just going to say "because it's in the Bible." So don't worry about that.

As I've mentioned a couple of times, I'm not a fan of religion. I'm a fan of relation. And that's what I have with God; a relationship. He's like a best friend. An all-powerful, all-knowing and all-present best friend, albeit, but best frend nonetheless.

Now, try to think of it this way. You have your best friend, and your relationship with the person you love. Imagine having to keep the former out of the latter. Completely. It doesn't work.
You don't tell them about who you're going out with. You don't introduce them. If it gets that far, you don't tell them you're engaged. They're not invited to the wedding ceremony. They have no idea that you have a couple of kids running around. They can't be anywhere near the person you love.

It would be near impossible, unless you didn't want them to be your friend any more! (Some people will now go... well, der.... but, for me at least, not an option. Not saying that to be selfish. I just couldn't do it.) It would be even harder if your friend really wanted to know the person you love. And that's how it is with God.

Now, some of you may be saying - but you wouldn't have to stop being a Christian. You can do that if you want, just don't talk to me about it. You keep your views to yourself, and I'll keep mine.
...That's not how it works. It's about relationship. Sharing. You may not agree with each other, and that's fair enough - if I found any Christian that shared every one of my views, I would be extremely surprised! - but God isn't one of those things that can be kept to one's self. He wants to know people. He wants to love people. And, being in a relationship with him; I would want that to be a relationship that I could share with the person that I love, that we could grow together in.

Well, you say. OK. But what happens, then, if you fall in love with someone who isn't a Christian?
That's where it gets to the sticky mess I mentioned earlier.

Being in love, of course, you want it to work out. And you know that you can't stop being a Christian; so the only solution that seems to present itself is that they become a Christian. Easier said than done, of course. You can't make someone become a Christian. It's a personal choice; a response that that person has to make themselves to God.

But you think, yes, it can work. Love will find a way.
*sighs* Love will find a way.

Thing is. Love always can find a way, yes. That is certainly the truth, and I believe that whole-heartedly. I believe that it can work out.
But will it?
It won't always. Sometimes people stop it, get in its way. Sometimes the situation does. It doesn't always work out. And, with these sort of relationships, as mentioned - if they don't work out, they can get quite sticky. Not speaking from personal experience here, so feel free to disagree.

Does that mean lose hope? No. Always hope, always pray. Always believe that something is possible. But, perhaps; don't start something until you know you will actually be able to continue on with it.

And, to be fair, people have made it work before. People will make it work again. Exactly what 'work' has meant has varied quite substantially; but, they have. Don't lose hope.