love

A colleague of mine has been trying various online dating sites for the last few months, going on date after date looking for the right guy. Understandably, she is getting tired of going on all these dates just to find she doesn't like him...or he doesn't like her.

In the last few months I have thought a bit about this thing that she, like so many others, is doing: searching for someone to love her. I am thankful that in my life I don't have to do that. I already know the love of God in my life and that is the only love that will ever be able to fully satisfy. God has been showing me that the love one receives from a spouse is simply another channel for his love to flow through. God is love and all love is in him. That means that any love I receive from another person originates in him. And while we all need people who will love us, and I do want a partner one day, I do not have a void in my heart that I am seeking some person to fill.

There is a video series from my childhood called "The Doughnut Man". The theme song from this show has been playing around in my head for several weeks now. It goes like this:

"Life without God's love is like a doughnut 'cause there's a hole in the middle of your heart."

This is the basic message I have been waiting to share with my colleague. I am praying and looking for the right opportunity but so far I haven't had "the in". I have decided to be quite honest about my own life in terms of relationships, dating, etc. recognizing that whatever happens, I know will have walked it out with God and it will be a testimony of Him in my life that is quite practical for her (and the others in the office) and quite different from her own experience.

This colleague is one with whom I didn't hit things off beautifully right from the beginning. I have worked hard at building our relationship. Today I was encouraged. She moved into the same neighbourhood as me a few months ago and so today as I was describing a recent walk to the river, she said "I was thinking that you and I should take a walk to the river sometime." This was a bit unexpected but I was encouraged by it because to me it is a sign that, to some extent anyways, I have won her trust and she is ready to talk about something...


Lord prepare her heart to receive you. May she become increasingly uncomfortable with the way she is currently living her life so that she recognizes her need for your love.