The Break Up

I remember like it was yesterday; the break up. Candy machine rings, origami laden love notes, and tireless telephone calls seemed to dissipate into oblivion.

How naïve a 10 year old could be when his grade school girlfriend was headed to junior high? A heart once melted by her long standing pony tail was now filled with fury toward boys with facial hair.

Why is the break-up so difficult to bear?

The past always seems more glamorous than it really was. Seriously. We scratch our heads and wonder what went wrong. We never fought, argued, or disagreed. Every date was heavenly; eternal bliss. Or so we thought.

The present always seems more painful than it really is. Contemplating our very existence we begin searching for a reason just to live. Looking to that relationship to 'complete me,' we now feel lost and desperate for something to numb the pain.

The future always seems for more fearful than it really will be. This is our new lot in life; single. We place a label on our lives as if we'll never measure up, be good enough, or find our true soul mate.

The truth is, God is asking us to initiate the break-up. And the sad reality, we've so glamorized this relationship that we've ignored his blatant appeal to get out. We're confident that nothing could be better. We've become so familiar with this setting that we're unwilling to escape what we know to be an unhealthy place for ourselves.

And this is why so many people will never enter the relationship God is calling us to engage. Because we're content to believe that dating ourselves is far more appealing, far more satisfying, and far more rewarding than the relationship He's inviting us to consider.

The glamour of pride and selfishness, dating myself if you will, has only masked the damning effects of separating myself from Christ. But the pain of breaking-up is necessary to see the distance between me and the one who holds the greatest affection for me.

The break-up will always be a difficult cross to bear. But it's one that's worth any amount of pain to sustain a life of commitment, submission, and obedience to the greatest lover of all; Jesus, the one who gave His life for me. He will always grant the faith necessary to trust His faithfulness.