Relationships

One who forgives an affront fosters friendship, but one who dwells ondisputes will alienate a friend - Proverbs 17:9


Relationships are tricky things.  But what would our lives be without them.  Relationships ARE our lives.  When you boil it all down they are the only things that matter.  No one on their deathbed asks about how much money they have in the bank or how their car is doing.  They ask to see their loved ones.  So how can we be so cavalier with our relationships?  We take offense at an offhand remark and we walk away from a friendship of many years or we close down communication lines with a family member.


But if course we don't look at it that way.  We blame the other person.  They ought to apologize.  They were wrong.  And we even pray for them... "Lord, change him.... change her heart... make him see the errors of his ways... make her more like I think she should be."  That's where the trouble lies.


People are going to disappoint us on occasion because - like us - they are flawed humans.  Maybe in those disappointing times they ARE the ones in the wrong... maybe it is actually ourselves.  But either way, it really doesn't matter.  What matters is the relationship.  Accepting others and loving them in spite of what they do is much more effective than praying for them to change.  That in turn provides us with more energy to look at ourselves more honestly and work on changing ourselves.


Don't let your relationships flounder and die.  Don't let a cross word take something so important away from you.  Your relationships ARE your life.


Father,
Show us how to accept and love others the way you accept and love us... in spite of our faults.  Help us to always put relationships above all other earthly things.  Amen.


Joys: Family coming up from Florida for a visit in a couple of weeks; short work week and already Friday!