The café is now empty.
I know. Hush now.. Your tears are still welcome.
This café used to be the sanctuary of all those exciting plans you have for the future. This is where you shared that perfect breakfast plate. It is that spot that served as your endless background in your countless photos together.
Who would’ve thought that the same exact spot would witness an end to a story which you carefully planned to last but now clearly breaking into pieces? The same spot witnessed all the painful reasons, hurtful words, and your heart shouting, “What just happened?”
“How did I get here?”
“How did my life come down to this?”
Hey, stay with me.
Someone is embracing you now. Someone is picking up your broken pieces. Someone is silently wiping your tears away. Someone stays awake with you at night when all those memories kept on rewinding over and over again. He’s the one who puts you to sleep, whispering.. “Enough beloved, we’ve already closed that door.” Someone is sitting beside your bed every morning, looking at you when you are at your worst and reminds you that you are still worthy.
His name is, Jesus. All of that is Jesus.
He’s telling you that you can stay in the mess you are in for as long as you want. There is no 3-month rule to follow. Your family and friends would demand you to get out and move on. But God tells you otherwise, “Slow down. You have been in the fast pace long enough. This time, we will not rush.”
And in the mess, you will rediscover the man who walks with the name-tag that reads “God.” You meet him in the mess. He tells you that he has been waiting even before the crash. Yet, he has always been the man who is content to wait for you until you seek His face again.
“I will be found by you,” declares the Lord, and I’ll restore your security. (Jeremiah 29:14)
My friend, there is nothing compares to admitting that you need the Lord in the mess you are in. You can find comfort from the church. You can find temporary laughter in fellowships. You can keep yourself busy with work or even ministry. You can run away as far as you want with all those scheduled road trips. But if God has been raising a red flag, you have to stop.
Steady your heart and stop.
You need to stop so He can heal the wound. You can’t keep moving or else you will keep on bleeding. The wound will just get bigger and bigger.
And still, God will take the role of being your Healer.
He affirms you that it’s not a failed love story but it is a story that both of you can’t stay anymore. That someday, God will turn your love story to His story.
Even though you have resolved to believe that your joy has died, He tells you that He can breathe life to your dry bones.
When you feel that you are not valuable, remember: You are loved with an everlasting love. (Jeremiah 31:3)
When you feel that you are not chosen, remember: Your name is written in heaven. (Luke 10:20)
When you feel that you just completely lost your identity, remember: You are precious and honored. (Isaiah 43:4)
Plant this truth in your heart: It doesn’t matter if someone doesn’t like you anymore. A man’s affection is not the standard. God’s love for you is.
He understands your pain. He went through the same heartbreak when you and I rejected his perfect love for us. He became a junk in the eyes of the people. He was not chosen despite all his flawless qualifications. He was forgotten in spite of his goodness and miracles performed right in front of our eyes.
We broke his heart. Then, He wholeheartedly gave forgiveness. The forgiveness which can turn weeping into something that is made for blooming. The forgiveness that brings you the grace and strength to start all over again. And with this forgiveness, His love will be made complete.
You see, your love story is not yet on it’s finish line. It doesn’t have to end this way.
You have the power to end it the same way it started, with a love that wins.
End it with forgiveness.
Forgive not just the big crash but all the little offenses happened along the way. Do know that long before it happened to your life, it happened in your heart. Forgive the person for pulling himself out from the commitment he once made. And thank him.. because now, you belong to a love that will never taken away from you.
It tells you, “You no longer have to earn the love that Jesus died for you.”
And forever you will hear God’s voice claiming His right over you, “You’re not a junk. You’re mine.”
Dear you, I don’t know you but please do me a favor today, gain back your original status in the Lord. You are what Proverbs 31:25 says, “She is clothed with strength and dignity. She laughs without the fear of the future.”
I am praying with you. You are not alone in this battle. I believe that God is on the move for you. And in case you forget: the Lord will not forbid on giving you what is best for you.
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