Several years ago I stood in front of the mirror of my apartment's bathroom, I stared into my own eyes and asked myself a question "what are you doing?" The question came on a Sunday afternoon after a weekend filled with sin that I thought of sincerely as fun at the time. I was empty, alone, and sad.

For some time I just stood there, then I prayed and asked God to lead me to somewhere far away from that place.

God did not leave me alone, a few months later I found myself with a group of people I now consider my closest friends. I began going to a college / career group called RLU and I will call it heaven sent, because that's how I felt and feel about it. God answered a deep need, and used a group of single believers to draw me closer to him. I loved RLU, I loved it dearly. It was a moment in my life that I will always look back to as wonderful, it was God answering prayer.

The group disbanded right about the time I met my wife, talk about God's timing. I've felt as though God provided a bridge between two points in my life. He needed me broken first, and he allowed me to get far enough away from him to feel the dark taint of sin, then he gathered me gently back, and put me in a place where I needed to be for my wife.

While it was a short time, I still look back on that time with fondness. What surprises me is the way others talk about that time, and not just about RLU, but about singles groups in general. There is no part of life not filled with some awkwardness, some amount of annoyance, yet for some it seems the focus of all evil in the church is the singles group (exaggerated for effect).

There is a tendency to find fault where others do, something about mob-mentality that destroys the sweetness of something when bitter words are cast out against it. I've heard remarks about how "awkward" that time was, how "messed up" it was, how it was nothing more than a "meat market" and I think to myself, "well why did you go?"

I found myself second guessing my memories of that time, wondering if I somehow left details out. No matter how hard I look though I still cannot find the bitter in anything other than the fact that it is gone, and will not be there for the next "me" who needs a bridge from one part of their lives to the other.

Some memories.

Going to Crystal Beach with Richard to just hang out. Leaving as the sun was rising over I45 sometime around 5AM.

River-Run, my cousin went, it was right before he became a father and such trips were no longer possible.

Suppressed Desire party, I won the "dinner for two."

July 4th party, John Ford with the complete hook up on the house.

Galveston, Brazos Bend, Miller Outdoor Theater, Thursday night - always Thursday, and late night Taco Cabana.

I did know what I had, and its gone, I wouldn't go back, but it was certainly a nice rest stop.