He heals the brokenhearted and binds up their wounds. Psalms 147:3

My friend tells me that falling in love is like realizing you have just stepped in a big pile of dog poo. The look on your face is the same and so is the first thought, "OH, CRAP!!" The realization that you are no longer "in control" of your emotions; all of the fears and anxiety that go along with "letting someone in"; or just knowing that you care about someone more than you care for yourself is scary.

A lot of us are addicted to the "rush" of falling in love. I know I am. I really love being "in LOVE". That ushy gushy feeling, the butterflies, the giggles, the insane things I do just to be in the same room, the feeling that everything must be right with the world. It's all very addictive, just like a drug. I have chosen to believe lie after lie as I run toward my next "fix". I even find that I lie to myself.

I run, breathless, toward a beautiful oasis offering safety, love, joy, a sense of worth and compassion in the middle of a harsh, dry and unforgiving world. It looks great with all the walks in the park and happily ever afters all thrown about. I envision holding hands with my beloved as the sun sinks below the horizon. We laugh and play in the summer rain. We build snow men and jump into huge piles of fresh fall leaves. We spend hours having deep, comfortable, meaningful conversation over candle lit meals. Completely perfect.

I routinely lie to myself about how much I "really love" this person. I believe the lie that I would do this or that if "I really loved" them. I believe the lie that my beloved could have faults and flaws. I convince myself that I do not want or believe things that I have wanted or believed all my life. I am willing to change the very core of who I am in order to have that sweet, refreshing taste of love.

Then, one day, after being hurt, ignored, taunted, used or just plain abused, the promises of an oasis turns out to be a mirage. Just another scorched and barren patch of land on a long, lonely journey.

As I pick up the pieces, off in the distance what do I see? .... shimmering.... gleaming.... promising... yep, another big pack of lies I'm willing to sell to myself and believe from others. So the cycle starts over again.

It IS TIME. If you are anything like me, it is time to step off the merry-go-round. Get out of the dryer. Stop spinning yourself into knots by buying into the lies. I am not saying never trust another person. I am not saying chunk the idea of love. I am saying stop believing the lies.

I realized my problems occured when I was depending on a person to fill my needs. Everyone gets lonely. Everyone gets sad. Everyone wants to feel wanted, needed and special. And a lot of us are willing to believe lie after lie to patch that hole.  

Ladies and Gentlemen, the Truth is simply this: every one of us has a God shaped hole in our lives that no man, woman or child can fill - only God. People are people and they will do things that hurt, they will make mistakes and they will let you down. There is a 100% chance that even your best friend in the whole world, at some point, will not be able to meet your needs. When you are expecting a person to fill that hole, you are trying to shove them somewhere they will never fit, expecting them to do a job they can not possible do and you are setting both of you up for heart ache. No relationship with a person can be "right" unless you have God meeting your needs first.

God created us. He knows our needs, even before we know them. He knows our heart's desires. He wants to be our one and only. He wants good for our lives. He desires to have a close relationship with us. He LOVES us - before we knew Him. He wants to give us peace, joy, meaning, and purpose.

He wants to heal your broken heart and bind your wounds.

1. We are seperated from God because He is Holy and we are not.

2. We recognize that nothing we do can make us Holy.

3. Jesus died on the cross as a perfect sacrifice which covers our unholiness and three days later was risen and lives in Heaven today. 

4. By accepting the sacrifice Jesus made and tuning toward God, we become Holy and able to have a relationship with a living Holy God who wants to love us and meet our needs.

5. I strongly suggest finding a bible believing church and becoming involved, especially in the single's groups. :-)