When God takes away a good thing....

I was talking to one of my best friends last night, clumsily trying to help her get over a break-up. And as I'm messaging all this advice for what to do when trying to get over a guy, I startled myself with what I wrote.

My advice to her was that no man should be the source of all your happiness. When God takes away something truly good from our lives we have to just fall to our knees and still trust him through the pain. It's hard to be separated from someone you love, but God is completely in control. If He wants you two together, He'll bring you together. And nothing that you do will make him return to you. If God's not in it, you shouldn't want any part of it.

That's when it hit me like a freight train. God wants me to do the same thing with Andrew. Just like I had to give up control of my past relationship when the guy got deployed, I have to give up control of this relationship. If God wants to return him to me, He will. I don't need to live in a constant state of  angst because Andrew's not with me right now. God is ABSOLUTELY in control.

I was struck by this thought. I had said to my friend: The question you have to ask yourself is, 'Do I trust Him even when He takes away a good thing?

I was initially telling my friend that she should ask herself that question in the midst of missing this guy that she's no longer dating. But, really, God hit me square between the eyes. My boyfriend is literally on the other side of the world (Australia) on a missions trip. He can't talk to me. He can rarely email or text me. I miss him SO much. But I also have to ask myself that question in the midst of missing a guy that I am still dating. 

'Do I trust Him even when He takes away a good thing?'

It was a great relief to just give it to God. It's out of my control. And hard as it was, I decided that even if God permanently took Andrew away from me, Jesus would be all that I would need. I would still trust Him. It's a choice. And at the end of the day, if I do end up at an altar looking into his eyes and saying 'I absolutely do', I can be completely confident that it is a relationship of God.

That is a relationship with God at the center. That is a relationship that knows God only takes away some good things when he has something better.

And honestly? I can't see it getting any better than this. :)