The Light of Day

  My Pastor, Joe, has been doing a series of sermons based upon the book, Enemies of the Heart by Andy Stanley.  I wanted to share a story with all of you that touches a couple of the themes.  You see, almost five years ago I was struggling to be a single, part-time dad.  Everything I had known was torn away from me and I was left floundering and alone.  Then God lead Kat to me, or me to her or some combination of the two.  Life was great, and our relationship was quickly moving to where it is now.  But as the night is always darkest before the dawn, a snag reared it's head.  My birthday party was rapidly approaching and, of course, my future wife was going to be there.  Unfortunately so was another woman whom I will not name to protect her privacy.  You see I have feelings for someone else.  We aren't talking puppy love either, this was an on and off romance that had been simmering for the better part of a decade at that time.  Anyone who sees us together knows that something is amiss (if you were at Alex's second birthday I bet you know exactly who I'm talking about, don't you?). At that point I had to make a decision.  Tell Kat or hide it.
  Let me tell you, that was not the easiest conversation I have ever had.  I made the choice to come clean and let my secret see the light of day.  Honestly, it saved not only my relationship but the friendship that Kat and this other woman had as well.  If I hadn't confessed everything to my wife it would have eaten me inside.  There is no way I could have made the correct choices.  I would have destroyed something wonderful for something that isn't going to work.  This leads me back to "following my heart."  Lord, thank you for not letting me make that mistake.  My "heart" would have cost me the glorious family I have now.  It might have also cost that other woman her's as we are both spoken for, then and now.  Nothing here will come as a surprise to anyone involved in the situation but I wanted to write it to see if it could help someone else struggling with hidden pains.  As hard as it may be it is definitely healthier to be open and honest than it is to hide everything inside.  No matter how well you hide things they have a way of leaking out and tainting everything else around you.