My ex contacted me recently. Yes, that one. The only person I've dated who I can't stand to talk to or look at.
I've forgiven him eons ago.., but forgetting is another matter.
He and his wife (the woman he was seeing while also planning to marry me) are slogging through what appears to be a painful separation only after a few years of marriage.
He said he missed me. He said he was lost. He said that he didn't know what to do, that he wanted advice, that he wanted to hear my voice. He seemed so desperate to contact me, in fact, that he sent the same email to every address he had for me, even old work addresses.
My first instinct was to delete the email. I certainly wasn't going to respond. I wasn't going to help him work out the problems he was going through with his wife. That was for them and God.
Still, I kept it. It was there in my inbox, taunting me. Something just kept tugging at my heart. Sure, a part of me felt a bit of schadenfreude. He deserves this, my jealous heart thought. This is how it feels when someone you love is slipping right through your fingers and there's nothing you can do. Sucks, doesn't it?
And in the midst of these very human thoughts, there it was again... That tugging. I realized how bitter I sounded and I immediately sat in the middle of my living room floor and opened my heart and my Bible. I could tell that God was the one on the other end of that heartstring, and He was pulling my heart slowly open.
So I sat down with a paper and a pen, and I wrote. I wrote to this man who hurt me so many years ago.
This was the result.
J,
I've prayed so much about whether to write to you. I'm so sorry to hear that you and Pam are going through such a period of uncertainty, and I hope you can pull through to the other side.
I can't help you with your problems, but I can tell you-- you should think twice before you end this marriage. Commitment is so difficult, and while your commitment to Pam broke your commitment to me, I think that actually puts me in a unique position to tell you not to make the same mistake twice.
Whatever problems you two may be having now, your wife and your commitment to each other before God is bigger than those.
J, your wife did something for you that I could never do. She brought you to Christ. She opened your heart to Him in ways I had tried so hard to do. She gave you the best gift in the love she showed for your soul.
She gave you Christ, and now it's time for you to give Him back to her. We know that the Bible says that Husbands are to give themselves to and for their Wives the way that Christ gave Himself for the Church. That seems like an easy responsibility when life is easy and love is a honeymoon. But life is rarely easy and honeymoons aren't eternal.
Christ gave Himself for you and he pursued you diligently. Even when you cared nothing about Him. Even when you laughed in His face. He worked hard on your heart. Through Pam. Through all the members of your church there. He did not give up on you.
Don't give up on her. Pray about it. Talk to her. Be open. Communicate what you're feeling. I know that's hard for you, J, I do, but your wife wants you to pursue her diligently. Even when times are hard. Even when she doesn't reciprocate. Even when it seems she's nagging. Chances are, she's trying to tell you something and you are hearing it-- but your heart doesn't listen.
I once read that the mark of a good marriage is whether your partner brings you closer to God, and whether through your marriage, others can see His presence in the way you love. I believe the two of you can have this kind of marriage, but working for it won't be convenient or easy, you have to make the choice to work. Choose her. Choose love. Choose your commitment to this marriage every day, just as Christ chooses to commit to the both of you.
It's not about who's done what, said what, or deserves what. It's about choosing to love beyond the angry word and just desserts.
Remember where you started from and choose to work your way back there.
So much has changed in my life over the years, but despite everything that's happened and all the hurt, you know that I'll always love and care for you deeply.
Lean on God. He is always there for you. You deserve a life of blessings and love. I will pray for you always.
Jess