Disapointment and Shattered Ideals

In my teenage years, I have to admit, I wasn't exactly the "perfect" Christian. I was rebellious, not outwardly, but inwardly, had really no desire to serve God, and idealized the wrong people. However, that all changed when a certain couple joined the church that I was attending at the time. Their names were J. and H. Higgins, and they soon became the youth leaders at my church. They became close friends of mine, and had so much influence in my life, more than they'll ever know. I spent numerous Sunday afternoons with them, as well as time before, during, and after youth activities.

J and H encouraged me to live for God, to get rid of the rebellion and bitterness in my heart, and to become a leader, rather than a follower. They were also a huge part of my surrendering to go into the ministry. They were the ones who put a burden in my heart to work with you. They planted those seeds of the love for youth into my life when I was still a youth myself.

H was the ideal wife. She was someone that I looked to for a model of how I wanted to be when I get married. She was submissive, loving, nuturing, and so much more. I looked up to her so much, and she was someone that I strived to model my own life after.

J was the ideal youth leader. He had so much energy and excitement about working with youth. You could see the burden that he had for youth. He was young, had a beautiful wife who loved youth just as much as he did, and seemed to have it all together.

I found out just this past week that this "ideal" couple is no longer together. J left his wife, and his young daughter, for another woman. When I heard the news, I was devestated and in shock. I couldn't believe that it had happened, not to them. They had seemed like the perfect couple, and I never, ever would have imagined that J would leave his wife for another woman. This was something that you heard about that happened to other people; people who aren't saved; people who didn't have the "ideal" life like J and H had.

I can only imagine what H is going through, suddenly finding herself as a single mom, having pretty much everything she'd known for more than five years destroyed. When I think about it, I am still shocked at what J did, and still can't believe that it happened.

This has made me realize even more how very important it is to really pray hard about who God would have you to marry, and to not rush into anything, and also, how important it is to make sure that you really know someone before you marry them