Update on Alex's life prayer topic

[Alex_Olijar]

My girlfriend broke up with me for a variety of reasons today. I don't know if I agree with them and we had an open discussion about it. We are planning to talk again soon after I have time to think and pray. I immediately thought of a similar topic Kirk posted and like him, I am fasting today and praying for guidance.

Please join me in praying:
1) I maintain my fast as I am currently at work at chickfila.
2) God shows me guidance in the future of this relationship
3) God changes my heart to his will for my future
4) God uses this situation to bring about a closer deeper relationship with Christ that elucidates my sin and allows me to become a closer imitation of his perfection.

[The Guardian]

Sorry to hear that man...may God give you wisdom, comfort and guidance as you work through this.

[YourMathTeacher]

I'm praying for you, my brother. In times like these Christians often say "It was God's Will" or "He has someone better waiting for you," but that makes God the bad guy and does little to relieve the pain of the moment. Personally, I don't see God as the friend that caused us to break up, but rather the friend that is there with a shoulder to lean on. He may sometimes say, "You know, there is this one girl that you might like to meet," but more often He just says, "Hey, let's go get some ice cream," because He knows that always makes me feel better. 

If you need to talk/vent, feel free to PM me. I would send you some ice cream, but it's nearly 100 degrees here in Florida, so I'm afraid it won't make it to you as a solid, but rather as a liquid. 

[Alex_Olijar]

Thanks guys. I appreciate the sentiment. I have several excellent friends who provided similar counsel. Probably the most important thing to come out this situation two days later is that I actually completed my fast! It's actually the first time I've ever managed to complete a fast (although I did have to cheat and drank more than just water [my originial intention] - but had it not been affecting my pace of work, I wouldn't have! I just wanted to make sure I wasn't being a Pharisee about my fast at the expense of my coworkers, most of whom are not Christian).

I've also deactivated my facebook for the time being (although I did that somewhat in haste as I didn't think about some of the information on it that I'm going to need access to - so I guess it's a semi-retirement for now) and spent significantly more time in prayer and the Word being convicted of areas in my life where I am not reach Christ's lofty goals and I am not allowing him to work on my heart to move towards those goals.

Finally, I've also reached out to a counseling agency concerning what I feel has been a long term battle with depression. Very few people know about that - only my girlfriend and few close friends. I self-diagnosed myself with the condition roughly a year and a half ago, and have chosen not to seek help because I feel it is as much a spiritual condition (in my case at least) as it is a mental condition. However, it was inhibiting my ability to maintain a healthy relationship with my girlfriend, and so regardless of the future of that relationship, I need to take a more active approach to my mental health if I hope to glorify God in my future marriage to somebody. Fortuitously, the father of one of my closest friends is a psychiatrist employed by a Christian counseling company that integrates faith and scripture in the process, something very important to me. God is good in placing her in my life to point me in the right direction.

I feel at peace with the situation because I know that regardless of the future of the relationship (which I still would like to continue at some point), I am in God's hands and this situation has definitely caused some reawakening of dead parts of my spirit through a greater reliance on God and greater openness to His touch.

I suppose I can use this forum as a bit of a life update as well!

As some know, I am currently employed in a management position at Chick-fil-a, a company I have worked for since high school. I graduated university in May and originally intended to pursue graduate studies in Economics, however, due to my coursework background, I was not able to get admission into any programs. My desire was to eventually teach Economics and work with college age students in a ministerial role through my profession role as a professor.

While this was a worthy goal, it is ultimately not a complete picture of what God wants for me. I have been getting actively called by what I would call prophetic words to pursue full-time campus ministry through the CCO (www.ccojubilee.com), the group I spent much time with in my own college experience, for the past 2 years. For a variety of reasons, I did not want this truth to be true in my life, and have been running from it at worst, and at best trying to fit parts of it into my life in a way I am comfortable with. However, I have recently (prior to this situation) succumbed to God's great plan for my life and abandoning my steps moving toward pursuing graduate school and will begin pursuing work with the CCO when their application season begins in the next month or two with an eye towards working on a campus beginning in the fall of 2015.   I covet your prayers in this regard.

[Captain Kirk]

Hey Alex,
 
Thank you sharing. I can speak from experience that it can be difficult to open up with others about the pain you are going through. I have been in a similar situation (as you referenced) and know how painful it is. I pray the LORD will provide clear direction for you in the ways that you requested and that He would bless you for desiring to seek Him through your sorrow. By God's grace, He turns our sorrow into joy, although that sometimes takes a lot longer than we would like.
 
Feel free to call me at (904) 263-0972 if you want to talk. I would love to listen to you talk through anything. I would also be happy to speak with you further about my experience in a similar situation and how God used that to grow me into more of who He wanted me to be.
 
Blessings,
Kirk

[AJ]

Praying

[Prof Underwood]

Thank you for sharing Alex.  I appreciate how difficult it is to be vulnerable like that, and I also appreciate your positive perspective about how God is using all these things to mold you into more of the man that He designed you to be.  To quote a favorite 80's rocker of mine, "Keep the Faith" and be "Living on a Prayer"!

I'll pray for you.