Critical. Important. Not to be ignored or simply to become ‘whatever’. Relationships are always in a state of growth and change or they atrophy into nothingness. I’m certain we’ve all experienced those relationships in our lives that just seemed to peter out. Why? What happened that caused this? Then there are those rare people that we can go days and weeks without talking to and then pick up right where we left off – why? What is that essential quality that allows some relationships to stagnate and dissipate and others continue to exist?
My ‘guess’ would be that one of the important criterion is the depth of the relationship. There are those (few) people that we seem to bond with immediately. These people become our closest advisers, supporters, confidants – the ones we laugh with and cry with. And supporting my ‘depth’ basis is that the relationship is reciprocal – both you and that other person are involved, at some level, in each other’s lives and who we are.
But these relationships are not left to chance. You ‘work’ on maintaining the contact and don’t let the life of your life to overcome everything. I know that last sentence may not make much sense but we sometimes get so wrapped up in what we are doing and thinking that we don’t take the time to bring others into our world. With those special people near and far we take the time to share what’s happening in our world and to discover what’s happening in their world. Actually people really are quite important to who we are and how we get there.
There is one relationship that we should never let time provide an excuse for why there is distance. And that relationship is with the Lord. He doesn’t move away from us, but we do seem to forget or distance ourselves. He knows what’s happening but He should never be just a bystander in our lives. However, we have to invite Him in for Him to participate. He will share and teach and joy in our successes more than anyone else could or would. The Lord isn’t an ‘out there’ concept, He is a right here person. But only if we allow it, if we invite Him in.
So what’s your relationship with the Lord? Is it a close, intimate sharing or do you relegate Him to … out there? Equally important… what do you want? It really is your decision……
