It's All Relative

Life = Relationships

Think about that for a second.

Do we really believe that? And if we believe it, do we live it?

Does life feel more like…

Work

Pain

Struggle

Play

Striving

Climbing the Ladder of Success

Money

Duty

Religion?

Well, yea, it feels like that more than sometimes.

Maybe life isn’t exclusively about relationships.

As I thought about this, I realized some amazing things.

Let’s start at the basic building blocks of life… cells. A healthy relationship between like cells produces a heart or kidneys or a liver. Cells out of relationship with each other and/or in relationship with foreign invaders gets you diseases and deformities.

So, biology depends on relationship.

How about Chemistry, speaking of science? The relationship of specific elements create specific compounds. Two hydrogens and one oxygen make water – H2O – a relationship. But TWO hydrogens and two oxygens - H2O2 - get you something completely different, hydrogen peroxide! For sure NOT something you want to drink. If you have a piece of wood, the molecules are arranged in a specific relationship to each other that equal wood. But if you burn the wood, turn it into ashes, the molecules rearrange and change relationship, and you’re left with something entirely different from a piece of wood.

So, Chemistry depends of relationships.

I could go on – Math, Language, Sports, Music, History – they all depend on relationship in one way or another.

Government – the relationship between a ruler and a people determine what kind of society you have.

Everything around us depends on relationship.

Relationships between people are no different. They’re hard because it is our lifeblood, and we have an enemy seeking to destroy us. (1 Peter 5:8)

We are interdependent on each other. The lives we live are defined by relationships.

Weddings are joyous because they establish a new relationship.

Funerals are sad because they interrupt a relationship.

Divorce is devastating because it severs relationships.

Suicide is the deception that there are no relationships.

We have work relationships, play relationships, family and BFF relationships.

We even have relationships with the mailman, the grocery clerk, the gas station attendant – in some way or another, we do. Here’s an example – I worked at a theatre in the box office where I received deliveries from FedEx, UPS, Cintas, and Coca Cola. Well, we also got Icee service every week – you know, those cherry or blue raspberry, brain-freeze buckets of sugar and ice? As with all vendors, I always greeted the Icee man with a smile and friendly conversation. To me, not a big deal, just something you do when you are the box office/first impression person. When I left that job, though, and I mentioned to the regular service people when it was the last time they’d see me, the Icee man said something that stuck with me. He said that he would miss my friendly smile, that I’d think a friendly smile was a normal occurrence on his route, but he could assure me that it was not. I honestly had never thought of it from his perspective. Little did I know that it affected his day every time.

There are a lot of little nuggets I took from this investigation.

Everyone I meet or interact with in the course of a day should be counted as some type of relationship, and I should keep that in mind when deciding how to treat them.

Relationships are treasures. As you have witnessed, my Daniel and I move around a lot. Funny how many people tell us that when we announce a move. It’s like reminding me that I’m tall. Anyway, though I do look forward to ‘settling down’ one of these days, I don’t see the moving around as a fault, if for this one reason – we’ve shook a lot of hands and hugged a lot of necks. I’d say that’s evidence of a pretty good life.

With all this proof of life = relationship, it should not be a surprise to us that God wants to be in relationship with us. He created a world that depends on relationships in every regard, so relationship is central to His character and His being. All misleading definitions of God attack the fact that He longs for a loving relationship with us.

The problem is sin. Adam and Eve had perfect relationship with God until they sinned. Sin prevents and impedes relationship. Sin must be dealt with for us to experience our purpose to be in relationship, with God and with each other.

As for God, He dealt with the Sin fully by atoning for it Himself through Jesus’ death.

As for us, forgiveness is key. Un-forgiveness blocks relationship.

Love is the balm, the sealant, of relationships. That’s why it says, “Love never fails.” (1 Cor. 13:8)

With all this in mind, and it’s a lot, remember this: If it is possible, as far as it depends on you, live at peace with everyone. Romans 12:18

God bless you, Dry Ground visitors! Thanks for visiting!

(photos by photobucket.com)