El Dolor del Novio- The Boyfriend's Pain

The culture article that Señor Wilkerson gave them to read that weekend contained a phrase that Dave pondered over. Las culturas Latinas prestan mucha atención al corazón. A menudo, se puede sentir físicamente las emociones en el corazón.

Dave easily grasped the literal meaning of this blurb on how important the actual “heart” was in emotions in Latin cultures. But what hounded him all weekend was how was his own culture any different?

He had a girlfriend. He should be thrilled. But she was messing with his head- and his heart. Even though he knew her really well. Dave and Ginger grew up in church together. And she dated his brother before now-

That was why he knew her, and that was part of the problem. That was why his heart hurt. Was she actually trying to mess with his heart? Or was she just being herself and it was happening by accident, maybe because his heart was too soft? After all, she was just being friendly with her friendly ex Dan who she wanted to be friends with at the friendly get together…

Dave decided for once and for all that his heart was freakishly soft when the youth pastor started in on sexual purity as the ever-popular sermon topic this morning, and all the non-virgins who were constantly mired in drama sat around Dave without batting an eyelash, but Dave, the late bloomer, the “virtuous” Christian guy who just started dating at eighteen, felt like someone yanked hard on the twisted, brittle sinews around his corazón.

Why was God being so unfair to him? This pain must be a sign he was a sinner- but weren’t there worse ones amidst the bunch of teenagers who slumped in their hoodies and jeans and never remembered to bring their Bibles? Why didn’t they appear to be in any pain, while he was?

He knew Ginger was among those who had sinned more in this area than he had “sinned”. She told him what she’d done with Dan, and at first it hurt him to hear it, but she said she was trying to get away from that. She said she was sorry and had repented. And he believed her.

That was over a month ago. Now, thinking of how she pouted and stomped off to the dance floor when he was hesitant about engaging in any PDA, and how she somehow ended up dancing quite closely with her friend Dan, he didn’t believe her, and his heart hurt, and he actually got up and left the youth center.

Out in the quiet and empty church hallway, hearing the frozen rain on the roof, God whispered to Dave that his heart had to stay gentle for Dave to listen to Him, and that this was not God’s punishment, just a part of life. Dave believed that. But it still hurt. Todavía le dolió el corazón.