The Faces of Love

LOVE SHOWCASES MANY FACES, RANGING FROM JOY TO GRIEF.

EACH STAGE OF LOVE CAN BE A TEACHABLE MOMENT IF YOU ALLOW IT.

I HAVE EXPERIENCED SO MUCH WHEN IT COMES TO THE FOUR-LETTER WORD, AND I CAN ONLY EXPRESS THE FACES THE BEST WAY I KNOW HOW, AND THAT IS THROUGH MY WORDS.

It never seemed to be enough for you; no matter how much I continued to give, I was breaking inside while you were out seeking a thrill

There was no turning back now as your decision has been made, so I must let go of you before it’s too late

I can no longer handle the pain your betrayal has caused.

Therefore, I must pick up the remainder of my broken heart as I bid the love I thought we shared farewell.

The pain was too much to bare

Why would I subject myself to this?

Why couldn’t I comprehend that I deserved better than what I was receiving.

I was his doormat as he proceeded to walk all over my heart, which left me feeling distraught as anger built inside me.

When would I reach my boiling point?

I asked myself, but I had no response

I knew I couldn’t let this go on for much longer without it destroying me, so I did the only thing that would bring me peace and walked out the door, leaving you behind, for I knew if I stayed, I would have begun to hate who I was becoming.

My heart wants you, and I refuse to give in to its demands because I know that you aren’t the one for me

You played with my emotions and didn’t care how much hurt it would cost me

I tried to hold onto you, not realizing I had lost you a while ago

I saw the signs, but I chose to ignore them, thinking that it was me who was the problem, not comprehending that somewhere along the path, you decided I wasn’t enough for you, but instead of letting me know, you chose to string me along until I couldn’t take it anymore

I find myself questioning if what we had was even real.

As I look back on our relationship with tears.

I realized I gave you all of me while you gave me only pieces of yourself

How could I be so naive and see that you were playing me?

I chose to disregard the clues and remained holding on to something that was gone.

I have no one to blame but myself because I let my guard down thinking you were the one, and now I am left with an empty void that can’t be refilled until I learn to forgive you.

I try with all my strength to let the memories of you go, but my heart calls out to you, and I don’t know how to silence the cry, fearing that you might hear it too and decide to come back to a broken girl who would accept all the pain and confusion all over again to have you back in my life once again.

You were like a bright light that illuminated the darkness when I first met you.

There was something about you that filled me with awe and curiosity.

You were the missing piece I never knew I was missing.

With you, the days seemed longer and more joyful.

You widened my horizons with your taste for adventure.

You brought out the shy girl who was hiding within and introduced me to the fearless warrior I was becoming.

You believed in me when others couldn’t.

You were my biggest cheerleader who knew what I needed.

How could I manage this life without you as I flashback on those precious moments we shared

How could I say goodbye forever to the one who showed me the meaning of love

I needed you to stay, but it was no longer your choice

Why did it have to be you?

I asked as the tears came running down my face

I don’t have the strength to let you go, but as I watched you take your last breath, I knew I didn’t have a choice.

There’s always a chance that it can break you, but I refuse to let that stop me.

I know the risks that come along with this feeling, but I am ready to embrace it, so I thought as I remembered.

I walked away from it and never wanted it back, but Abba, you came along and showed me that it was something I needed on this journey

Don’t you know how crippling it is, Abba, to unlock it

I locked it up for a reason because it only brought me pain

There’s only so much pain a person can take, and somehow, I know I have met my quota, but you knew this was not the way for me as you asked me to remove the chains that have held

me captive for too long

As I tried to find excuses not to follow through, I heard you say, “It’s time, my child.

Your future awaits

So, as I place my trust in you, Abba, I remove the lock, and the chains fell off as I open the door to love once again.

I tossed and turned all night long, knowing that what was coming was about to change everything.

I never thought I would experience another moment like this, but now its arrival was here.

As I climbed out of bed, my stomach filled with butterflies.

I knew in a few hours, nothing would ever be the same.

As the day began to fly by swiftly, the excitement around me started to grow, and the butterflies in my stomach somehow disappeared without a clue.

I looked all around me, staring into the faces of the ones I loved as their eyes gleamed with excitement about what was to come.

They each played a part in getting me to this moment as I looked at the woman in the mirror who smiled back at me with a glow that highlighted the white dress and the veil that was now being placed upon her face as she knew this was her wedding day.

There was an intention behind the hurt and pain, one that sought to destroy me. The one thing I needed the most to get through the darkness was what the enemy was using against me. He knew if I didn’t know how to love, then I wouldn’t know God because God is the definition of love.

His plot didn’t work in each heartbreak, loss, anger, betrayal, and grief phase because my God was there all along, ushering me through, knowing that staying the course would strengthen my ability to love again.

I am grateful that my testimony would be useful to share with others and help them come through, acknowledging that there is light at the end of the tunnel. Don’t give up on love, no matter how much it hurts. It’s not love that hurts you; it’s the individuals who don’t understand its meaning.

©️2025 Charlene L. Morris. All Rights Reserved