From Winter Brings the Spring Again.

I love the place I live.  My “9″ house mates are wonderful, happy people who challenge me in my walk with God and challenge me to be a better person with how great they are.  I couldn’t have asked for more.  One of the only issues I have is that every one of them is enthusiastic about their majors and are well on their way to being young professionals of one kind or another.  That makes JD feel apathetic. Also, almost every one of them is in a happy, edifying relationship with a beautiful woman of God.  That makes JD feel lonely.

But if I am lonely some days, it’s no big deal.  I’m not gonna so seek out some one just so I fit in or feel less left out.  It’s worth waiting to find the right person.  All my room mates are in such great relationships because of perseverance and patience.  Seasons come and go.  This one is cold and stressful with school being hard and motivation being scarce, but I believe that Spring is just around the corner, so to speak.  I’m excited for the time of my life where I’m enthusiastic about learning!  I’m pumped for the season where love comes around.  I’m hopeful because I have seen and know that this is how life is.  How great that God made us this way!  I wouldn’t appreciate the warmth of spring and summer if winter wasn’t so damn cold.

This problem must be resolved.

I have noted an increase recently in a certain tragic type of relationship between kids of my age group. Here’s how it happens…

A guy and a girl of similar age meet at some church event and hang out later at some restaurant with their friends, talking all into the night about how great missions are and how badly they want to go. They facebook each other that night when they return to their respective homes, and after a week or so of casual wall posting, they agree to hang out. Up until this point no wrong has been done, but give it a month of hang outs and one of the two has developed a crush on the other. No one says anything, except to the closest of friends. They continue to hang out, seeing each other regularly around their college campus or at their church late in the evening, and the crush continues to grow, all while the other party has no idea of the other’s intentions.

One of two things happen when the inevitable DTR is forced.

1. The person with the crush professes undying love. The surprised crush-ee makes it clear to the crush-er that they just want to be friends because of some legit sounding reason. The friendship, however, is basically ruined and the two scarcely talk because oh look, now its really awkward. This scenario is a tragedy.
2. The crush-ee is prepared and states they just want friendship. The crush-er (now the totally crushed), scrambles for words and agrees that this is all they want as well, and the conversation ends as quickly as it started. The friendship may actually still exist, but now the person with the crush is stuck with their feelings.  Hang outs still happen, but now there is a secret.  Maybe someday it’s made clear.

So what can be said for these happenings?  I seriously see this kind of thing go down all the time and I have definitely been the crush-er and the crush-ee under both scenarios listed above.  All I can say is that maybe we need to open up?  Maybe we need to investigate why we’re holding back? Maybe we also need to start evaluating our friendships with the opposite gender before we even consider going farther than that.  Is there a fitting resolution to this emotionally expensive condition?