I've recently finished reading the short book series 'Dinner with a Perfect Stranger' and 'A Day with a Perfect Stranger.' These books got me to thinking, as most books do, that perhaps we are awfully confused when it comes to managing our lives.

I won't share much about the books, as I encourage you to read them yourself. They are short, 100 page quick reads that leave you thinking, and I don't care what your religion or thought process in life, read them, and form your own opinion.

The part that stood out to me, is how we often resent those around us, due to their inability to provide us with that something that we need to fulfill us. The bottom line is, NO HUMAN, will ever be able to fulfill that part of us, because only God can.

We so often want to avoid the issues in our lives, so instead, and especially as Christians, we feel the need to see where other people are in their lives. This causes a generally out of control cycle of giving advice, being a shoulder to cry on, and eventually ruining relationships. I'm not saying we shouldn't ask questions when a friend has chosen to share something with you, part of that is simply showing it's not just a one time thing and that you do care about their situation, but it's when we start to pry, or when we think up solutions for them, that it puts wedges in between the relationships.

We each have our crap to deal with. And ultimately, it's our choice how we deal with it. Some of us may choose to walk away, some of us may choose to make the best of what we have, and some of us may choose to give up and just let things happen, but that choice, is ours to make.

I've sure made my immature mistakes in the last few years. I've always wanted other people to solve my problems... talk to multiple people, get their opinions and then work from there... However, that hasn't worked, more than anything, it's created a whole lot of work for me to restore relationships that I've destroyed. I can't blame everything on the opinions I've been given, much of my decisions were based on the bitterness, the anger, and the need to hurt back those who have hurt me. I was really tired of giving SO much, and never feeling like I was getting anything back, always wanting that someone to fulfill my loneliness, emptiness, those things that only God can fill. That hole in our lives, that missing puzzle piece that only he fits in.

We can try to forgive, love, & serve people in our own efforts, but if that 'God Hole' isn't filled, eventually we'll be burnt out. We'll feel unfulfilled, used, mistreated and this can lead to a long, dark road. When we spend time with God, thanking him for the people in our lives, asking his guidance when we don't have the answer, and patiently waiting, listening for an answer, this is when we can give, this is when we can enjoy life to it's fullest. When we realize that NO person will ever fill that void, we can love them despite their inability to treat us perfectly 100% of the time.