Boomerang

Whoever isolates himself seeks his own desire; he breaks out against all sound judgment (Proverbs 18:1, ESV).

Many of my childhood memories involve playing games outside with my twin brother. We didn’t have access to a lot of technology, and we were both very active. We always had one another to play with, so the possibilities were endless.

One player games were never a thought, which is why I think boomerangs have always been so fascinating to me. I recently began to read a little about them, and according to Merriam Webster (1), the word carries two distinct definitions, one as a noun, and the other as a verb:

1. : a bent or angular throwing club typically flat on one side and rounded on the other so that it soars or curves in flight especially: one designed to return near the thrower

2. : an act or utterance that backfires on its originator

The more I read, the more the Lord stirred my heart. Our thoughts, words, and actions can be a boomerang–we throw them out into the world, and often, they come right back, landing close to our own heart, having a profound impact on everyone around us.

One area where this has shown up is in my dating life. I don’t often share details, because it’s a sensitive area of my heart. I have had so many negative experiences that the enemy has begun to use them, at times, to shape the attitude of my heart toward the situation.

A mutual friend connects me with someone new, but the guy never reaches out. Meet a guy online only to find out, though he’s getting a divorce, he is actually still married. Get asked on a date only to be ghosted two days before the dinner reservation. A phone date that reveals his bad language, and disrespect of women.

The stories are innumerable, and I don’t share so others will feel sorry for me, but as a reminder that I must not allow lies of the enemy to become thoughts, and preconceived disappointments that boomerang from my own heart onto others that care about me.

If I tell them what happened, they’ll just say I’m being too picky. If I tell yet another dating story, they’ll just be disappointed again.

While I trust Jesus completely with this part of my life, it is still hard to communicate my own heart without allowing the lies of the enemy to infiltrate how I believe other people see me.

I am afraid I am disappointing others who just want me to meet someone. I create expectations in my mind, and heart, that align with what I desire to happen. I sometimes feel like a failure when the door opens only to get closed again so quickly.

Setting boundaries has been a very important area of growth, but I must be cautious of how my own thoughts are affecting my ability to trust others with a sensitive area of my heart.

Like a boomerang, I can sometimes unfairly send out the hurts of my own heart. I place blame on a well-intentioned friend when they were never involved in the game. Thoughts that originate from a place of lies within my own heart leads to isolation.

This led me to Proverbs 18:1, which says: “Whoever isolates himself seeks his own desire; he breaks out against all sound judgment.”

When I allow these lies to boomerang onto others, I am left alone with them. While I do feel content in Christ when it comes to my relationship status, it’s still a very important part of my heart that I must not try to navigate alone.

As Proverbs 18:1 says, the isolation creates within me a desire to make myself, and my own desires, an idol. I may miss out on sound judgment from others that points me to Jesus, and all that He has for my life.

I love playing games, but a boomerang is not one of them. And it reminds me that I never want to play a game alone with the enemy. When I surround myself with proper boundaries, and friends that always point me to Jesus, I know I’ll never lose.

#Fear #trust #christ #thenarrowpath #proverbs #jesus #games #healing

1. “Boomerang Definition & Meaning.” Merriam-Webster. Accessed June 28, 2024. https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/boomerang.