The Cards of Life

When you’re growing up you have an idea of how life is going to play out in your head. Then life, and sometimes God, has a way of saying, “Oh yeah? Watch this.”

I never imagined that I would be a divorced single parent. That wasn’t in the cards for me. I was going to have a strong marriage. I was going to be an excellent dad. I wasn’t going to be a part of a growing statistic. Then life, in its mysterious and unpredictable ways, hits you hard. You wake up one day as a single parent wondering what in the world happened. I thought I did everything right, I thought I tried to give it my best shot. But it didn’t work out. We can’t always control what the other person will do, or how they will feel. It is very much a situation that you don’t actually have control over. But despite that truth, I would lie to you if I didn’t feel like a complete failure. I couldn’t stop telling myself that this wasn’t supposed to happen.

But it did. Now I am a part of that “statistic.” But a number or percentage does not have to define a person. How we respond to our circumstances and the effort we put into learning from our experiences are what define us more. And ultimately, above all else, how we are viewed by a loving, compassionate, and merciful God truly defines who we are. This is a tough lesson I’ve had to learn over the past couple of years.

The ultimate Creator of our universe wants us to call Him Father. He tells us that we are fearfully and wonderfully made. That doesn’t mean He’s blind to our faults, nor does it mean that He doesn’t want us to strive for the kind of life He desires for us. In fact, He is so aware of our faults, our scars, our wounds that He decided to love us anyway and send His only Son to die for us. Mending our brokenness so we can have that relationship with Him.

It is that truth that has continued to help me and bring me out of the darkness I create in my head and into His marvelous light. In that truth and light, I have been able to persevere. It’s not an easy road, and there are times when I needed to be carried. But God heals. God carries. God watches over us.

So, in that comfort and truth I’ve decided to step out in faith again. I have been dating a wonderful woman for the past year that has been my biggest fan and my biggest friend. Some of you have met Katie from her visits to church on Sundays. I’m glad to announce that you will be seeing a lot more of her in the future. That’s right, your crazy Youth/Children’s Director is engaged! I am looking forward to our church getting to know her better in the near future. And I’m super excited to be gaining a best friend and life partner. Life doesn’t always happen the way you expect, but we can have faith that in that “we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.”