The divorce was painful, but amicable. I relocated back to where I grew up, moved in with the special woman I'd met online, and didn't give it a second thought because this was almost the 21st Century. We had to adjust who we were in real life as opposed to how we were with each other online. It wasn't easy, and we nearly split many times. But we stuck it out. The funny thing is that my girlfriend knew the LORD, even then, but I didn't want to have anything to do with it.
By this time I'd come to many (incorrect) conclusions that organized religion wasn't what God had intended, and was actually detrimental. Yes, I was that far gone. At no time do I remember ever not believing in God, or that Jesus was his only Son, but I sure didn't "get it". My girlfriend and I would argue more and more about going to church as time went on. One night it came to a head.
She was raised some Methodist and Baptist and had started taking the girls to church on Sunday. I wouldn't go because I didn't like groups of people, nor the hypocrasy that I'd remembered in church before. You've seen "them" - the person that's as humble as can be on Sunday, but the next six days they're a go-getter in this dog-eat-dog world, stepping on whoever they need to to reach their goals.
For the first time I was speachless, simply standing there, looking pretty dumb, I'm sure. The point is, she was right. I'd prided myself on being a good Dad, being by their side when they needed me... but this one statement was true. I was doing the same thing to my girls as my Dad did with me.
I didn't kneel down right there and pray to the Lord begging His forgiveness, but I did start thinking about it. Alot. I really started to think about what I did believe to be true.