Good Morning. I am off to Charleston today to enjoy a brief visit with my sister. She is vacationing in Myrtle Beach this week and we are meeting for lunch. I am looking forward to seeing her and spending time with her.
Yesterday was a day of conversations for me. I know that probably sounds funny. Most people have a fair amount of conversation everyday, but when you are in a new city and know barely a handful of people, conversation is infrequent. I spent a few hours with a lovely couple. We enjoyed a meal together and the conversation was easy and interesting. We shared with one another a myraid of topics--family, friends, our jobs and interests--the ususal "get to know someone" type of conversation. I walked away from that feeling uplifted and happy; content that it had gone well. I was at ease to be myself. Later in the evening, I went out with a neighbor, and the conversation was quite different. As I was sitting there, I became more and more aware of the fact that this conversation was not one that I really wanted to be part of. When I returned home, I had yet another conversation, with my Heavenly Father. This one was one of intimacy and based in years of relationship. This conversation refreshed me and washed me.
As I was laying there, trying to fall asleep, I began to think about the contrast of these 3 conversations and the basis for the contrast. Initially, I thought the difference lie in relationship, but as I thought about it a little longer, I realized that it wasn't relationship that made them so different, rather it was character. Please understand, I am in no way judging anyone here, just making an observation. As I spoke with the first couple (people I had never met and have no relationship with), I found the conversation easy because I could sense that they were people of substance, people with integrity and morality. The second conversation, with the neighbor, was base. I could tell immediately, that this was a person of folly. As the conversation continued, I grew more and more uncomfortable.
We all have our "qualifiers" when it comes to relationships. There are those who remain outside the realm of friendship, there are others who are aquaintences, there are friends and then there are those with whom we have intimacy (those who fully know us and vice versa). We choose the categories each person is in and often times certain individuals graduate to another category based on what we see and hear as the relationship progresses. I believe this to be a natural part of human nature. I also see it as Bibical.
Jesus was surrounded by the multitudes. Out of them, He chose 12 men--they were his closest friends. Out of the 12, he was more intimate with 3 (Peter, James and John). I just mention this as a point of reference!
It is ok for us to choose who we want to be part of our lives. I say this more to myself, because I have this thing about hurting people's feelings. As I brought these conversations before the Lord last night, He was saying that it was ok to choose; even wise to choose, who we are in relationship with. It is not the will of God for my life that I walk around unaware, but that I use the tools He has given me to make right choices for my life, especially when it comes to those I spend my time with!
A conversation can just be a conversation unless you really hear the person; the character of the person, behind the words. The Bible says, "Out of the overflow of the heart, the mouth speaks."
Gotta Love the Lord, He covered it all!!
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