If I haven't said it before I'll say it now: Thank you so much for reading my blog! Your support means the world to me, and I love writing each of these posts even if no one reads them. There is something satisfying to me to look ahead to a year or even two years from now when I'll read old blog posts and see how God was working. It's like watching a movie about yourself right after it's happened. . . Strange, but incredibly helpful in noticing how God does His handiwork.
Something I've gotten into the habit of is being on the lookout for God sightings and truly taking time to appreciate the beauty around me that He has created; I don't want to take anything for granted anymore.
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A certain topic that is heavy on my heart tonight is relationships. . . I'm obviously no expert, but I have a friend going through a really difficult breakup right now and my heart aches for her. My heart is also heavy because what I feel I need to tell her I really shouldn't. . . So here is the letter I would write to my friend if I could. . . (FYI She doesn't read this blog)
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My dear friend,
My heart hurts for you. If I could take all the pain from you and put it on me I definitely would. But I know you can make it through this. Why would I ever take upon myself a pain this great? Because I know who holds tomorrow, I've got a relationship with the One who took upon Him the greatest pain of all, and I've been through a pain like this within the past year, and somehow survived by the grace and love of God. . .
I want you to know I love you, but I also want you to know I was praying God would speak to his heart and tell him this needed to come to an end. . . It broke my heart to watch you cling to him over God, and it worried me how you felt completely helpless if he wasn't there or you weren't talking to him. . . I wanted to see you have a life outside of the dating relationship also, and I wanted you to be able to talk to me and spend time with me without checking the time to rush off to be with him again. . .
Most of all I wanted to see him share the same love for Jesus you had at the beginning of the relationship. The love I saw in you began to fade as other things became more important. . . You were not the only one guilty of this within a relationship, but you were one of my close friends for a long time, and suddenly I was put on a back burner. . .
I never had the bravery to tell you from the start, but I never believed the relationship was healthy or going to last because he was not a Christian, and things moved much too quickly. You really believed you could lead him to Jesus, and I loved you for that, but people are pulled down off their mountain much easier than they are able to heave another person up onto their mountain. . . I wish you would've kept the importance of him loving Jesus like crazy first more important than finding out if he liked you back. . .
I know this time is tragic and you feel like you're drowning, but I also know that the sooner you are able to look to God and try to see how He wants you to use this precious time to grow closer to Him, the pain will slowly begin to fade. . . Cling to Jesus more than the blankets that surround you at night. . . Pray more than you've ever blinked. . . "and the God of grace, who called you to his eternal glory in Christ, after you have suffered a little while, will himself restore you and make you strong, firm, and steadfast." (1 Peter 5:10)
It is important to grieve, but holding onto something God is trying to take away is useless. He is trying to give you something much greater; trust Him. He loves you infinitely more than any boy ever will. A man worthy of your affection and time will seek God before he seeks you; he will guide you towards God before himself; he will look out for you and protect you both emotionally and physically.
God does not need us to move objects for His plan to complete itself. We can focus on living our lives for Him and He will make everything beautiful in its time. You once left me a piece of paper on my pillow after my relationship ended that said "God often takes us into dangerous waters, not to drown us, but to cleanse us." God is trying to guide you back to Him. If it is in His will for you to be with this guy, God will make it beautiful in His time. Focus on running super fast towards Christ, and let Him figure out the puzzle pieces for you.
I love you, friend.
Sarah
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That was a load off my shoulders, and I hope by reading that you will be able to understand some very important keys to a successful relationship. Notice nothing I said involved things the guy and girl needed to do together. . . The things that make up a strong foundation begin with the personal relationship with Jesus. . . If you don't have a firm understanding of Christ and a strong relationship with Jesus first, what makes you think you could make a relationship with another imperfect human work out? Without that strong relationship with Him your relationship will always falter and shake. Hold fast to the One who is always constant and always perfect.
No matter what's going on in your life right now, the verse I mentioned in the letter may be a comfort to you. One quote I love to tell myself and others is "God often gives His toughest battles to His strongest soldiers." Like I said in my previous post, He is preparing us for everything we will encounter in life ahead of time.
He doesn't remove anything from our lives without replacing it with something better.
Remember to be on the lookout for how God is using the difficult times to renew your spirit and bring glory to Himself. When we truly learn to seek Him in all areas of our life our perspective totally changes, our attitudes shift, and our purpose lives out.
"Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged. For the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go."
-Joshua 1:9
Sarah
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