We were never meant to live life in an isolated bubble. We were created for relationship! Scary thought? It was for me when I started my journey over 10 years ago – I was an island in a big ocean of my making. My behavior constantly reinforced my isolating “I’m on-my-own” mentality.
Some people will read this and think I am crazy for mentioning this when it is so natural for them … and others may melt down thinking there isn’t anyone in their life they can even relate to.
Join hands with those around you.
All through scripture, we are given examples of relationships: the friends that become family, the people we live life with, the people we meet for a season … they all count.
Joining hands with others requires intimacy. Intimacy is the deep meaningful relationships that we have in our lives – both with God and others – that He uses to mold us and grow us. I had to face the truth … Deep down I was scared of being known!
Relationship is a mirror in which you can see yourself, not as you would wish to be, but as you are. ~Jiddu Krishnamurti
Learning how to have intimate relationships required complete examination from the inside out. Who was I as a wife? Who was I as a sister? Who was I as a friend? I wasn’t sure what I’d find, thought I was pretty certain that even though I can love well, there were going to be things I definitely needed to change!
A starting point was to actually make my list of who was in my life and how close were they and how honest would they be with me … I was looking for their honesty from a place of love, support and wanting to see me grow. I had to have conversations with people. I had to share my heart, my hurt, my struggles, my beliefs and I had to open myself to feedback … What did I need to change to be a better me? Some people rose to the challenge and others faded away and that is ok. I know that God provides the counsel I need to hear no matter whose lips deliver the message.
And it continues today … some people will come into your lives for a season and others for a lifetime. It is a choice to nurture the relationships as they are and to grow them in agreement with others. Any kind of success you seek will always require the support of others. They don’t have to share your vision, but they do have to love you, support you, be for you, and want the best to come to you! I invite you to figure out who you join hands with and then run together and build the life of your dreams with those and new relationships.
