Relationship. That's a loaded word. Every person who reads it has a different reaction to it. Depending on how you were raised, how you've been treated by friends, churches, pastors, teachers, bosses; the list is endless and so are the different feelings conjured up by the thought of relationship. For some, it brings warm and wonderful feelings of being nurtured and surrounded by loving people. For others on the opposite side of the room, it brings feelings of fear, judgment and insecurity. And there are lots of feelings and positions in between these two extremes. It all depends on your point of view if relationship is worth the effort.
A few weeks ago, we visited a church where an old friend is the pastor. The purpose of that visit was to help determine where our church would be moving. We were going to become a blended church with one of two possibilities. I brought Adam, as much to expose him to them as to expose them to him. I knew I would get a feel for how we would fit, and whether or not we would continue in this fellowship if our church and theirs became one.
Our old friend came over and said hello, and then later on, during the announcements, he came back over to greet us again. He said he didn't know if Adam would remember him and I assured him that Adam does not forget people. Adam smiled and grabbed hold of him and wouldn't let him go. He was laughing and making all kinds of excited noises, and pulled me into a three-way hug. He would not let either one of us go. Our friend was overwhelmed with this wonderful display of love and affection and couldn't believe how MUCH Adam remembered him. In a later email conversation, he wondered if Adam greets everyone like that. I told him the story of our other restored relationship and told him that Adam does NOT greet everyone like that. He loves and remembers and gets excited for those who love him and those he's missed.
What's the point of all this? Adam gets relationship. It's the thing that is most important to him in all the world. He would rather spend time hanging around people than doing anything else. He was made for love and for loving others. God says this is so. God made us for relationship with Himself. And then for relationship with others. Adam doesn't have a problem with this, even though the ones who've raised him struggle with it from time to time. He loves who he loves and doesn't care what anyone else thinks about it. And he's not afraid to show it.
God stopped by while I was on the phone this morning. He opened my eyes to see something that I've seen throughout Adam's whole life, and yet only saw this morning as I spoke with my friend. How simple it is to maintain and restore relationships. It all boils down to how much we're willing to risk in love. Jesus gave us the perfect example of the risk for love when He laid it all down and became a man and paid the terrible price for our sin. Sometimes we think we need to pay the price, as if what Jesus did wasn't enough because we're just too bad and horrible. That is not true. He paid it once, for all. Adam gets that. I get that. I get it even better now. Another wise friend tells us all the time, "It's better to love than to be right." He recently added, "Because you never know how often you may be wrong." How true that is!
The bottom line is this: Relationship=Love. Without love there really isn't much of a relationship. It's what God made us for. It's how He made us. To be unloving is to deny who we really are. Made in the image and likeness of God, Who Is Love. How's that for starters? If we can begin with and hold onto love, the rest will work itself out. When I forget that, I'll just ask Adam for a three way hug with someone. Maybe that someone will be you. Lots of love going out to all my readers today. xoxoxo I hope you enjoy the video!
I was talking with a friend this morning about the many changes in our lives and how they've affected us. For me, I feel that most things in my life, including relationship changes, have gotten better over the years. I've gone from being untrusting and judgmental to more accepting and loving. I can actually believe that people love me, which is a great change for me. As I have learned not to judge, I have learned that I am not being judged so much. "What goes around comes around", people like to say. Jesus said it first..."As a man sows, so shall he also reap." I got tired of reaping a crop of nasty weeds, so I repented and decided to try and try again until I could produce a crop of beautiful grain. I'm not the greatest farmer, but I'm getting better all the time. I see some full heads of grain on some of the stalks...
Something hit me as I was talking with my friend this morning. I was talking about Adam, and how he loves people and remembers them even though he often can't remember their name. A few months ago, someone visited our church who I hadn't seen in a while. Our relationship had been broken, more than once, and it was hard getting back to where I felt loved, loving and forgiven. When we came together to greet each other, Adam smiled and grabbed hold of her and wouldn't let her go. He was laughing and making all kinds of excited noises, and pulled me into a three-way hug. He would not let either one of us go. Before too long, she was weeping and I was too. "Adam, you're wrecking me!" she cried out. He just held on for dear life and loved on us with all his might. The presence of the Lord was so strong between us all, and so much healing took place in a few short minutes. Restoration isn't really all that hard..it just takes a risk of love. Lucky for us, Adam didn't weigh the risk.A few weeks ago, we visited a church where an old friend is the pastor. The purpose of that visit was to help determine where our church would be moving. We were going to become a blended church with one of two possibilities. I brought Adam, as much to expose him to them as to expose them to him. I knew I would get a feel for how we would fit, and whether or not we would continue in this fellowship if our church and theirs became one.
Our old friend came over and said hello, and then later on, during the announcements, he came back over to greet us again. He said he didn't know if Adam would remember him and I assured him that Adam does not forget people. Adam smiled and grabbed hold of him and wouldn't let him go. He was laughing and making all kinds of excited noises, and pulled me into a three-way hug. He would not let either one of us go. Our friend was overwhelmed with this wonderful display of love and affection and couldn't believe how MUCH Adam remembered him. In a later email conversation, he wondered if Adam greets everyone like that. I told him the story of our other restored relationship and told him that Adam does NOT greet everyone like that. He loves and remembers and gets excited for those who love him and those he's missed.
What's the point of all this? Adam gets relationship. It's the thing that is most important to him in all the world. He would rather spend time hanging around people than doing anything else. He was made for love and for loving others. God says this is so. God made us for relationship with Himself. And then for relationship with others. Adam doesn't have a problem with this, even though the ones who've raised him struggle with it from time to time. He loves who he loves and doesn't care what anyone else thinks about it. And he's not afraid to show it.
God stopped by while I was on the phone this morning. He opened my eyes to see something that I've seen throughout Adam's whole life, and yet only saw this morning as I spoke with my friend. How simple it is to maintain and restore relationships. It all boils down to how much we're willing to risk in love. Jesus gave us the perfect example of the risk for love when He laid it all down and became a man and paid the terrible price for our sin. Sometimes we think we need to pay the price, as if what Jesus did wasn't enough because we're just too bad and horrible. That is not true. He paid it once, for all. Adam gets that. I get that. I get it even better now. Another wise friend tells us all the time, "It's better to love than to be right." He recently added, "Because you never know how often you may be wrong." How true that is!
The bottom line is this: Relationship=Love. Without love there really isn't much of a relationship. It's what God made us for. It's how He made us. To be unloving is to deny who we really are. Made in the image and likeness of God, Who Is Love. How's that for starters? If we can begin with and hold onto love, the rest will work itself out. When I forget that, I'll just ask Adam for a three way hug with someone. Maybe that someone will be you. Lots of love going out to all my readers today. xoxoxo I hope you enjoy the video!
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