Let's Get Personal

Valentine's Day is just over a month away, and I am already feeling its effects. In past years, I did alright, and managed to hold together through all the Valentine's Day status updates and date night pictures. There were times, however, even living on Earth was very difficult, and I had to fall off of it for awhile.

One of the darkest moments of my life occurred over a year ago when I overheard my Dad speaking with some of his friends. They asked about me and what he could see was happening in my personal life. He noticed "the light went out inside of me"; I stopped smiling, goofing off, being ridiculous, and started talking less and withdrawing more compared to when I was in university surrounded by friends and immersed in having a good time. I can't approximate when I started feeling this way, but I guess 2010 is when things started unravelling.

Aside from work and blogging, I returned to doing the things I used to enjoy like music and now filmmaking (YouTube). I understand that a girlfriend or the mere title of "in a relationship" will not bring the happiness I am desperate to find. It's not a problem with Valentine's Day. Actually, it feels like an everyday problem. When I volunteer or play sports, for example, you don't notice it as much because in those moments I can become someone else, and spend less time being Phil Wood.

In conclusion, Valentine's Day is one of those days like my birthday, Christmas, and New Year's Day when being Phil Wood is worth sleeping through.

Loneliness: Cliches Don't Help Anyone

Happy New Year,

It was never helpful advice, yet over the years people said many of the cliche things about being single. Coincidentally, someone made a video about "Stuff Christian singles hear", and I posted it on my Facebook wall a few months ago.

Sidenote: I made a BINGO card, and in the squares I wrote some of these sayings. I did, however, leave a couple out for the purpose of analyzing them closely.

Do you know who else was single? Timothy...

If I ever say something like that to a young man suffering with loneliness, battling with patience, and on the brink of raging against his beliefs and relenting to sin and guilty pleasure, then stuff me in an automated funny car with no brakes, and force me to drive against traffic during Friday rush hour.

I have no right to disregard his emotions and feelings by comparing an insecure teenage male to one of the principal figures of the early Christian church. In both situations someone said that to me, it was done to shut me up, and focus on who I was not.

My life history is full of stories which
should have ended with me doing such things.

I am aware Timothy and his spiritual mentor, Paul, were single dudes whom God instructed to preach. The history of the kid pouring his heart out to you, however, is not yet completed; who are we to relegate his life concerns? Dudes, please listen to that young man speak before addressing his concerns and praying for him. There may come a time when you shouldn't say anything and just listen; he may need a sounding board to bounce ideas off, and pick the healthy ones from those that are disgusting.

Pray Harder

Nothing says "I don't know what to say to you" more than that statement. Praying for anything, should it be a person, place, or thing, any "harder" will not make it happen or change God's mind. His Holy Spirit determines whether that happens or not (Luke 11:9-13). There are proper and more important things that are essential in every walk of life to ask for in prayer, such as wisdom, discernment, patience, trust, devotion, and understanding. The benefits of using these gifts are in the obedience and adherence with God's will; knowing God's will also comes from reading His Word (Luke 19:11-27).

Therefore, listen to those with concerns, and pray for things they will definitely need in the future, even though they are asking and/or using little bits of it in the present.

That's all I can think about on this subject. Sorry for the unusual break, but the other half is on a different post. I thought it was important enough it deserved to be on another post.