still hangin' on

"I'm hangin' on... you're all that's left to hold on to." - Bono in Red Hill Mining Town

Yesterday I had two conversations about relationships. You know, the romantic kind. Aren't they exciting? I mean, isn't the thrill of discovering that someone else is thinking about you just priceless? It's a little more than obvious that the human race is consumed with obtaining this feeling. I just saw an ad for yet another online dating company, mate1: intimate dating. What a joke! Intimate? Online?

Both of my conversations yesterday touched on the undeniable pain and misery of 'breaking up.' We talked about how all of your hopes and dreams come crashing down in mere seconds when this happens.

The common thread in my two discussions yesterday was this: both people I talked to shared with me the belief that we should never put our 'hopes and dreams' in anyone other than Jesus. All three of us were speaking from much experience as well. The thing about humans is that it's not a question of if they will let you down, it's a matter of when!

In a song called "Wedding Dress," Christian songwriter Derek Webb refers to 'lovers less wild' that draw us away from Jesus, the One who loved us (as another of his songs points out) 'to death.' He is the One who died for sinners. He is the One who won't take back His love. He is the One who will never cheat on you. He is the One who will patiently put up with your junk.

May you be able to say to Jesus, "I'm hangin' on... You're all that's left to hold on to."

-Dale