David and Mical: The Problem of Getting Back With Your ExSample

HOW IT ALL STARTED

"But Mical, Saul's other daughter, was in love with David. And when they told Saul, he was pleased to know" (1 SAMUEL 18:20).

He was a family boy, a hard worker, a musician, brave and vigorous, God-fearing… and handsome! (1 Samuel 16:18). She… She was a princess! The youngest daughter of the ruler of God's people, and sister of his best friend (1 Samuel 14:49). She loved him; he was shy, but he was willing to kill a hundred men for her. His name was David, which means "loving"; her name was Mical, which means "stream."

I know you are waiting for the "but" of this story. The normal thing would be that the problem was that her father was against it... but no! The introductory passage says that when the father found out that his daughter liked the boy, he was pleased to know.

So what do we have in this story? A good boy, a family girl, and a happy father-in-law: the formula for family happiness... or is it?

Dear reader, if things were always as they began, life would be predictable and happiness anticipated. But – finally the “but” – in the world we live in, history is not usually a straight line. It's more like those old wired headphones that would get tangled up when you put them in your pocket. What began with the acceptance of the father became an all-out persecution of the "most dangerous" man in the nation.

Like the love stories we enjoy, love was stronger than the hard heart of that father-in-law. When Saul wanted to kill David, Mical warned her husband, helped him out of the house, and set up a decoy to give him time to escape (see 1 Samuel 19:11-17).

What a painful farewell that must have been! With the adrenaline rush of the chase and the emptiness of love leaving, emotions must have been running high. But the escape was for a short time. Only until the king calms down… right?

Well, the story continues. Unfortunately, everything beautiful and romantic about the story ends here. What follows teaches us the reality that romantic Disney movies do not tell us. If you think you're ready to face the harsh reality, read on at your own risk.

Lessons on the side:

Real life is hard, and it hits us hard. We are exposed to the danger that our dreams will not come true, or are hindered in an unfair and unanticipated way. Therefore, when establishing our relationships we need wisdom and divine direction.

When things go wrong in your relationship, sit down and remember how you met. Remember the virtues and qualities that drew your attention to your partner, and which ones drew your partner's attention to you. Many of those things are still there, so do everything you can to wake them up.