Relationship & Experience

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Having seen and having experienced, helps us to understand a beautiful more full picture of not simply the world but the different dimensions of it.

There are so many things we don’t understand! And we need people! We need each other in this journey of life to help us find fuller truths about all sorts of things! Nature, thought, words, spirit, soul, consciousness, subconscious, dreams and so much more! And when I say we need people, I don’t just mean we need each other as in our close friends and family, our colleges, our fellow church goers, people in our sports teams or interest groups, I mean we might not even know who we might need! A day can be changed by that warm smile the lady who weighs your baggage gave you at the airport, or the little gift your housemate leaves you on the kitchen counter. A life can be changed through that boy who pestered you in school to meet his friend, or that new employer who decides to give you a chance even though your not the least bit qualified! A motto can be made based on a fleeting comment the lady at the counter made when scanning your broccoli, or that soul searching journey the young woman told you about in Vietnam.
We need others we haven’t even met yet! We might not ever get to know a person very well but something they say reaches within our soul and breaks down a barrier of thought or understanding we may never have known we built there! Never underestimate the importance of another person! How ever annoying, untrustworthy, skilled, joyful, angry, passionate, understanding, crazy or whatever they may seem to be! They all are valuable in the walk of understanding life!

Genesis 2:18 And the Lord God said “It is not good that man should be alone, I will make him a helper comparable to him.” And then in verse 19 and 20 it goes on accounting all the animals that God made to keep Adam company. And there was not yet a companion suitable for Adam to share his life with fully so in Genesis 2:22 God continued creating and made a woman, Eve who would be a worthy companion for Adam to share and appreciate life with. Doing together, being together, seeing together. Many other forms of relationships come from that initial man and woman. Mother, son, uncle, niece, friend, work companion, helper. You get it, we’re made for relationship! And most importantly they had a relationship with the one who created them from the dust of the earth. The one who breathed life into their lungs! In Gen 3:8 they heard the Lord walking in the garden and they spoke with Him, Adam had heard God speak to him before, God had relationship with Adam and Eve.
God was the one who created relationships and He still is! I believe He leads us into so many meaningful relationships! Even the hard ones we can glean from, the heartbreaking ones, the ones that seem to tear our life apart, if we trust Him, He will always show us something we can learn. Something that strengthens our character, and gives us understanding or empathy. We need relationships to be able to love.

I think travelling has helped me understand so much more about the ways of life! It seems to me that staying in one place and experiencing life from only one point of view, the same kinds of teachings and influences, we cut ourselves off from learning more. I’m not saying travelling is a must, I love it, but let’s do things a little out of the ordinary. Let’s encourage each other to experience the richness life has to offer! Give something a chance! Have a conversation with someone on a train, learn from the past, join a workshop! Let’s give ourselves opportunities to live a fuller more experienced life. We may or may not be right in what we think or what we believe from what we have learned and experienced. But we might not have a full picture! You know? There is so much to learn guys! It’s overwhelming! It’s beautiful! It’s astonishing! And it’s there for us to explore together!!!

It’s like reading one verse of the bible and saying well this is definitely right so I’m going to stay here and read this over and over again. Sure you can talk about it and learn from that one scripture about context and metaphors and the people of the era, but your understanding will be limited! There are so many other verses and chapters and stories and accounts that are also right and they add up to a whole beautiful truth!
This is my revelation, I was just sitting thinking about the experiences I’ve had and the tender hearts of other believers in Jesus I’ve met from different parts of the world. Other people from different cultures, and ages and fields of work that have taught me so much through the last months and years! Our understandings on our own can be so limited! The more we learn the more questions there are! The more we open up and want to explore what’s next?! What comes after?!
As an example, different cultures not only have different languages and traditions and beliefs, they have different perspectives, different ways of understanding life! Our ways are not the only ways. Once we can see that, a whole weath of knowledge and wisdom awaits us! God is incredible! I cannot grasp the vast, mind blowing beauty of His character and His creation whom He wants to be a part of and whom He has invited to be a part of Him! Through His Holy Spirit! How cool is that?!

I hope this gives us something worthwhile to think about and hopefully put into action. I know we all need a little encouragement, or a lot! I know I thrive on it haha

Blessings as always and embrace your quirks!

 

Jace