Whirlwind romance without a face

Sometimes it's easy to be caught up in something so fast, you can't even think or apply rational thought.

It's a tired cliche, but sometimes matters of the heart feel like a roller-coaster. You buckle up for the ride, ignore any possible end (why think about the end on a fun ride), and hope you don't puke during it all.

Without putting too much of my personal life out on a sleeve (something I probably do too much of), I got involved with a girl via Facebook. Nothing sleezy or immoral, but we started talking and calling each other (she was out of the country for the month of July), and before date number one, I was convinced (a mutual feeling) that she was the greatest girl in the world.

And why wouldn't she be? I've basically been single for nearly three years, so I thought I had matured during that time. I thought months of praying for someone great had finally paid off in the form of her. 'Surely this can't go wrong!' I thought to myself.

But turns out, it did fall apart. I guess, in the end (last week), she just didn't think I was right for her, and everything crumbled one day before date number one.

I can't escape this one without any fault. Why the hell did I fall for someone that hard without meeting them? It really puzzles me. I could just see part of my body detaching itself and staring down at all of this in agony and horror.

But I guess I can make this a learning experience. Rule number one, don't talk to someone on a daily basis for hours over the phone for an entire month before the first date. IF they're out of the country or away and a meeting just isn't going to happen, maybe limit it to one phone call a week.

That way, there's less of a chance you'll build each other up to ungodly expectations, expectations that nobody could dare match.

Second, communication is important, but it's no substitute for an actual meeting. I'm glad we had solid communication. I hope that whoever I end up with will enjoy talking a lot. But a whole month of nonstop chatter? I should have been finding other things to do with my time.

Yes, it sucked. But it's the little things like this that will make finding the future Mrs. Faber so rewarding.

And whoever that woman is, I'm sure she's thrilled about this.

Regardless of any life lessons I've learned, it still hurt and it still sucked. Falling hard for someone seems like it only leads to falling hard on the pavement. Or something like that. But my friend Dan, who has his own blog at , gave me a Bible verse that helped put everything into perspective. Phillipians 3:8

(But) whatever gains I had, these I have come to consider a loss because of Christ. More than that, I even consider everything as a loss because of the supreme good of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. For his sake I have accepted the loss of all things and I consider them so much rubbish, that I may gain Christ and be found in him, not having any righteousness of my own based on the law but that which comes through faith in Christ, the righteousness from God, depending on faith.

Our Bible says rubbish. Which is fine, but in greek, the word was Skubala. Per Dan, and Jeff Wofford's blog post, skubala literally translates into "shit."

Pair that with Galatians 5:12 (where Paul writes that he wishes the people who troubled the Galatians would just castrate themselves), and St. Paul sounds more like a guy you could get a few drinks with at the Reagal Beagle.

I'm sure bad dates weren't on Paul's mind when he talked about going through so much "shit," but it made me realize that we as Christians go through so many bad things. But in the end, it doesn't mean anything: our faith in Christ is all that matters.

It's that mindset that truly helped me get over her. If only I had been reading my bible during past breakups! Then they might not have been so rough.

I guess it helps to walk with Christ. The skubala doesn't seem that bad.