Facebook Fiasco
I met a woman this weekend at a marriage conference (I’ll call her Hannah) who was grief-stricken over her best friend’s behavior. She had used Facebook to look up an old boyfriend, and the cyber-reunion turned into an extramarital affair. Her marriage was destroyed, her family was divided, and Hannah is aching for every single person involved in the negative ripple effects. “Our families have been friends forever, and the idea of losing my best friend is bad enough, but to think of what she’s put her husband, children, and every person she loves through makes me just as angry as I am sad.” We shed tears and shared hugs, but I knew I could never ease Hannah’s pain from the hole her best friend had made in her heart.
I share this to encourage you, Ladies (and Gentlemen), to banish the thought of contacting your ex-boyfriends or girlfriends – EVER! I’ve experienced the same temptation, but then realized, “What could possibly come of it? Some sort of stroll down memory lane that re-awakens passions that I struggled to put to sleep long ago? Why walk into THAT nightmare when I have the kind of husband and family that most women only dream of?” I’m very thankful that common sense has kept me in a safe place in regards to cyber-relationships. I hope you can say the same.
Moral of the story: Don’t let social networking become your new nightmare! Limit your “friends” to those who truly enhance your life, marriage, family & career, and remember that it’s best to leave your old lovers alone!
Wishing you a guarded heart,
Shannon
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VERY good reminder, Shannon!
When I was sent a friend request from my high school sweetheart, I admit that I was thrilled. He looked good, had a beautiful family, and appeared quite successful. The reconnection seemed innocent even though I frequently checked his profile for updates and new pics. Then the inevitable happened; we planned to meet. Just to talk, of course, but my emotions went berserk! It took a weekend of soul searching, girlfriend counseling, and violent weeping to convince me that IT WAS VERY WRONG. I sent him a message on Monday morning stating that it was inappropriate for us to meet. Thankfully, he agreed and no more has been communicated between us. I have since removed him from my friends list.
I recently learned that my husband had a similar experience. Unfortunately, he did not decline the opportunity to meet, and an emotional affair was born. He and his ex-girlfriend (who is also married) began communicating several times everyday; sometimes from morning to night. Since my discovery, he claims to have completely broken off all communication, and we are on the road to recovery. The lies that I never thought my husband capable of have severly wounded me, but I have to remember that I came close to falling into temptation, too. Rebuilding trust is difficult, but I believe that through this, God can create the marriage that my husband and I have always desired to have. With God, nothing is impossible!