Second Panel Discussion

What I liked about the discussion of Genesis 24 on this week's panel as it relates to finding the right person - is that neither Isaac nor Rebekah were "looking" for the right person when God brought them together. Instead, they were becoming the right person for their future partner, and God brought them together at the right time.
The discussion of whether God has "one perfect chosen" person for everybody I thought was very good as well. I think younger people often like to think so, because it makes that relationship seem safer ahead of time. The problem, most people don't have the certainty from the Lord that this or that person is the "one." So making a commitment is always a matter of faith in God, in yourself, and in the other person. The idea that there is one person may be used as a shield to keep everyone away, or as a magnet to keep hanging on to a relationship that is not working. It seems healthier to me to keep the idea of the one person for me in the background, while I work on being the right person for my future spouse and trust God to lead me to a person I can commit to.
Of course, being married, I can testify that once you do commit to another, the question of who is the"one" becomes irrelevant. I have committed to this person, and, if was unsure about God's will before, I at least know what it is now.
The question of finding the right one leads to how much input we give to others - parents especially. I guess it depends on what kind of relationship you have with them - but if not your parent, it is important to get some honest outside input into your relationships, because we do not always see things (especially ourselves) clearly.