Belonging…Tuesday

10/8/13

How many memberships do you have? I have one each for the grocery store, AAA, our insurance company, a few school associations, Facebook, the bank, etc. How about you? Do you belong to the gym, a community care team, a local arts center, or a favorite interest group? There are a lot of ways we belong. We belong to our city, our neighborhood, our apartment building, or our dorm floor. We belong to our job, our department, and our team. We belong to our family, near or far.

But I know all of this belonging is not the same.  It doesn’t mean we have someone we can pour our heart out to in time of trouble; or that we can call any time just to talk. But we should be connected to others in just such a way; for their benefit and our own good.

I know it can take a lot of effort to get and stay connected with people. I have times when I am surrounded by many friends, and we are in and out of each other’s lives by phone, in person, and via texting. Then I have times when my life has become so busy that I am just barely in contact with others. When I am in a quiet season, it quickly becomes a disconnect season. It is just so much easier for me to wait for someone to reach out to me than for me to reach out to them.

But in the depth of my heart I know I am really saying to myself, if they want to talk to me they’ll call. Maybe they have called, and they got tired of me not calling them back? But in my usual self-focused manner, I wouldn’t remember that little detail. It even happens in my own home. Five people are living together, but are we really connecting with each other?

In everything, therefore,

treat people the same way

you want them to treat you,

for this is the Law and the Prophets.

Matthew 7:12 NASB

In response to all he (GOD) has done for us,

let us outdo each other in being helpful

and kind to each other 

and in doing good.

Let us not neglect our church meetings,as some people do,
but encourage and warn each other,especially
now that the day

of his coming back again 

is drawing near
.                           Hebrews 10:24-25
TLB

Dear Lord, thank You for reminding me that true belonging is based on relationship. Please give me eyes to see and a heart that understands what you are showing me about the relationships and lack of relationships in my life. Thank You for not leaving me where I am in the midst of my troubles. Thank You for leading me closer to Your Truth. In Jesus name, amen.

Written by Mary M. Wilkins

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Follow this link to hear Amy Grant sing “I’ll Be Your Friend”: 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sJ2IWpUSUdU