Derek’s recent performance on the Baseball Diamond had been rather abysmal.  Instead of keeping his eye on the ball, his eye had been perpetually drifting toward the blonde, Abercrombie-clad Jersey Chaser in the stands. She had recently taken a liking to “Baseball Players,” and despite an infantile understanding of the rules, she certainly appreciated the way Derek’s butt looked in baseball pants.

Noticing the strong correlation between this girl’s attendance at our games and Derek’s sudden inability to focus, our coach pulled us all aside and uttered a phrase that has remained indelibly etched in my memory:

“Every dollar spent on a girl in High School is a dollar spent on another man’s wife.”

Although Derek and his “girlfriend” had been “officially going out” for a full 4 days and he had even bought her several Snow Cones, seeing Derek’s butt became much more difficult for Miss Jersey Chaser once coach placed it on the bench.  And although they had declared their undying love for one another the previous Thursday, Derek was “once again single” by Monday.  And the rumors had already begun swirling that she now had her eye on our third baseman, since he and his butt were still in the starting lineup.

And although Coach was generally on the right track with his statement, I think there are a few things worth clarifying:

It is possible to marry your “High School Sweetheart.” But, whether you’re a High Schooler or still just acting like one, ask yourself the following:

–Do I truly love this person with unconditional, sacrificial, Christ-like love?

-Am I merely living out the song, “I like me better when I’m with you” in this relationship?  Is this relationship built on a foundation of superficial attraction?

-Whether it’s a Snow Cone or a Cell Phone, is the money I’m spending on that person done out of love, or is every purchase meant to “gain leverage” in the relationship?

And ultimately, if any romantic relationship is pulling your “eye off the ball,” rather than enhancing your focus, it’s not the right relationship.  If any relationship is pulling you away from your relationship with God, then it’s best to break it off prior to being “benched.”

You can still buy that cute person a Snow Cone. But dating and eventually marrying someone wearing a different Spiritual Jersey almost inevitably leads to striking out in the Game of Life.