And the Edward and Bella love saga is over...

It's over.

Years of teenage (and adult) craze is finished. The Edward, Bella, Jacob love triangle has been officially solved and all parties involved are content and happy. I know as fans though, there are broken hearts. Now you are team what???

I'm not going to be a hypocrite and bash this series or condemn those who have watched it or gotten into it. Or else I would be telling that to myself; because I've read the books. I've seen the movies. I even saw two of them at the midnight showing- yes, it's true. I own that. So anything that I say is said in light of watching the movies for myself and studying the characters as I read them; of diving into the theology of the author and trying to figure out her worldview. I saw the last and final movie today; just a few minutes ago. I can't help but be reflective about the whole storyline, and honestly, just sobered and saddened by a few things. So, this is my honest take bathed in a warning to young women (and possibly men) who dive into this fantasy.

Notice that word: fantasy. This book is meant to be fake; to be a picture of something that is not real. Because it's not. There are no such thing as vampires. You don't walk around in a dead body. You cannot turn into wolves or have rapid growth that all of the sudden stops as an adult. Yet, at the same time, there are hints of truth throughout that we cannot ignore. So, here we go:

(NOTE: If you don't personally know Jesus Christ and the grace and salvation found in Him- some of this won't make sense. So, message me or email me and I can fill you in on the most amazing thing ever. You are loved!)

1. There is eternal and forever love, but it is not found in humanity. I lost count how many times Edward and Bella made outlandish statements about each other like: "You complete me", "I would die without you", "You're my reason for living", "There is nothing good besides you", etc etc. Ladies- hear me out, please. This is WRONG. So so wrong. No man will ever meet up to expectations like that. You will literally crush a man under the weight of those expectations and beliefs. There is no man like Edward Cullen, because he's not real. He's not. There is no man who will study you and know you and pursue you and fight for you and love you with the faithfulness and perfection that Edward Cullen does for Bella Swan because HE'S A FAKE CHARACTER. A woman wrote this book. You can literally hear the cries of Stephanie Meyer for that man as she writes with pen what that looks like. There is no such thing. There is no Jacob Black. There is no man who will immediately know he will marry you and wait for you without frustration. There is no man who will perfectly protect you or continually desire you. Because he's fake. He's not real. If this causes anxiety or despair in you, search your heart.
2. There is eternal and forever love, and it is FOUND IN GOD. Guess who does love you and fight for you? Guess who continually pursues you and never gives up on you? Guess who calls you beautiful when you're at your absolute worst, and woos you when you scream at Him in anger? He knows you intimately- He created you and finds joy and pleasure in you. This is God, sister. This is love. Romans 8:38-39 says this about God's love; "I am sure that neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers, nor things present nor things to come, nor powers, nor height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord." NOTHING- do you hear me - nothing can separate a believer from the love of their Father. When you screw up and sin royally, guess who will still love you and desire you? When you were at your absolute worst and had no desire whatsoever for the goodness and glory of the Lord, who saved you from the pit? Psalm 63:3 says, "Because Your steadfast love is better than life, my lips will praise Your name." This isn't talking about a temporary, human love. David is crying out to the Father in this. God Almighty, because YOUR love- Your redemptive, powerful, all-sustaining, faithful, never giving up, passionate, zealous, forgiving, constant, fulfilling, eternal love is BETTER than life, my lips will praise YOUR name. Nothing in this Psalm is about David or his feelings or emotions- it's about his very nature, heart and soul, lining up with that of his Creators. Eternal and fulfilling love is only found in the Lord.
3. There is eternity, but nothing of it is about you. Stephanie got this part right. We do live forever. Our physical bodies die, yes- but one day we will be reunited with them. Until then, when our bodies perish, our souls remain forever- either in perfect, freeing, eternal, communion with God or in horrific, painful, agonizing, damning separation from God. Death will come to each and every one of us. These books praise the life of immortality because Edward and Bella get to savor and drink deeply into the waters of their lust/love forever. The way these books depict their unquenchable desire for one another- as if they have no power over themselves and their very essence of "living" is for the other- this is all but a shadow of what we, as believers, are called into with God. We are finite creatures, so the degree at which our adoption and oneness with God is, we cannot understand. Oh God- I want to understand. I want to know the depths of what He's saved me from and the greatness of what He's saved me into. I think the apostle Paul caught a glimpse of it as he cried out, "For me to live is Christ and to die is gain." He didn't fear death. He didn't fear leaving the ones behind that he loved, because his first love what that of Christ Jesus his Lord. Where does your heart beat from? What does the flow of your blood align to and what does the desire of your heart follow? Does the thought of separation from someone or something terrify you so deeply that you lose sight of anything having to do with your unity with the Trinity or your salvation from the pit? Or, possibly, does the deep desire FOR something that you have not yet had, drive your thoughts, desires, fantasies, decisions? Paul taught to the Corinthian church that we are each chasing a prize. This race as a believer has an inheritance, a prize, a trophy at the end of it. Guess what that is? GOD. At the end of the race of every believer is God. We get God. We are not fighting this spiritual battle and following the King of Kings as a means to an end. He is the end. Stop chasing lesser things when the greatest of all has knocked at your heart and called you into His family. There is eternity, but it's about Him.
4. Twilight is an entertaining, fascinating story- but it pales in comparison to what we've been called into. Have you ever read the Bible? Like really read it, really studied it? It's incredible. The story from Creation, to the fall, to redemption, to eternal glorification: From Genesis to Revelation- is the most incredible story ever written. And you- believer- you've been called into it. Please don't miss this. Don't get sucked into these worlds of fantasies and lies, of unreal expectations and deep disappointments. God created the world only to allow it to be wrecked by sin. In spite of that sin, He has continually woven a story of redemption (through the prophecy of, live of, death of, resurrection of, and reigning of His only Son) that is far deeper and more passionate than any story you will ever read. You- who were DEAD in your trespasses and sins- He made alive. He has called the whore, the murderer, the homosexual, the thief, the lier, the disobedient, the self-righteous, the manipulative, the adulterer, the blasphemer... He has called men and women such as these (us) into His forever and eternal kingdom. Each of us only deserving of damnation- He has defeated our rival enemy and will eternally defeat him at the moment of Christ's return. Epic battles have taken place, souls have been saved, lives have been raised, miraculous events have taken place, love stories have been intricately woven, children have been beautifully birthed- generations have been transformed because of this story of redemption being proclaimed. This is SO much bigger than just you, my friend. SO much bigger than the one thing you're "missing"- than that one thing you're desiring and fighting for. Please please don't get caught up in and consumed the temporal call and heartbeat of the world. Please please don't. Step into this magnificent play that the Creator God created you for. He created you for true and full beauty and love- found only in Him. Don't settle for lesser things when the greatest of all has freely been handed to you.

So, if you want to go see Breaking Dawn pt 2, go see it. But don't be fooled into thinking that type of thing is what you are created for. It's not. You were created for Him, and in Him is all you've ever desired and longed for- and more. Sister- find your worth and identity in your Father God, not in a man. Walk in obedience to the Scriptures and desire to mimic your Lord and submit and follow a man after HIS own heart- not an edward or jacob. Don't succumb to the things of the world, but seek first HIM and His glory. Brother- you are not perfect and never will be. Don't try to be and don't try to be the perfect man that women seek. Follow your God. Desire to have a heart after Him- He equips and He fills. 

You make known to me the path of life; in YOUR presence there is fulness of joy; at YOUR right hand are pleasures forevermore. 

Psalm 16:11

Nevertheless, I am continually with You; You hold my right hand. You guide me with Your counsel, and afterward You will receive me to glory. Whom have I in heaven but You? And there is nothing on earth that I desire besides You. My flesh and my heart may fail, but You Oh Lord, are the strength of my heart and my portion forever..for me it is good to be near God; I have made the Lord GOD my refuge, that I may tell of all Your works.

Psalm 73:23-26,28

How love is Your dwelling place, O LORD of hosts! My soul longs, yes faints, for the courts of the LORD; my heart and flesh sing for joy to the living God...for a day in Your courts is better than a thousand elsewhere. I would rather be a doorkeeper in the house of my God than dwell in the tents of wickedness.

Psalm 84:1-2,10