Day 16: What Matters Most

Question to Consider: Honestly, are relationships my first priority? How can I ensure that they are?

Hmmm...maybe I should have read this book first...and then decided if I wanted to blog about it. Well, since I've already committed myself to doing this and have been putting my whole heart into it, we've come this far...so lets keep going.

Relationships. Not the strongest point of my life, but they were the first priority of my life. Unfortunately, most all of them have never lasted because I put all of them above God.

I left a comment on someone's blog today about giving religious answers. Their opinion was that sometimes in a case of someone grieving that you should refrain from giving a religious answer such as "Trust in the Lord" and instead offer them a hug. My comment was, "I understand why you think we should refrain from religious answers, but based on my own experiences...being the receiver and being the giver...it's best when we let the Holy Spirit lead us, especially when someone is looking for an answer that only God can give them. When people know us by our fruits, there is no need for us to flaunt God. They see how we react in our own struggles and that is more encouraging to them than words could ever say."

Whew...somebody throw me a box of kleenex. It's funny how you can sit down and have it semi-planned what you're going to say and then while you're actually typing it you think about the question a little more and...and something jumps out at you that you hadn't thought about before...because you've never really thought about it from this perspective.

My Mom is a good example of that. Anyone that knows my Mom, knows that she loves the Lord with all her heart. She probably has no idea, because I had no idea until recently that I did see how she reacted in some of her struggles. That's probably why I don't have a harder time than I do with trusting God. Everything that my Mom may have done wrong with raising me, those things are so unimportant now. The important thing she didn't do wrong was lose her faith in God. She raised me to walk with God. The only relationship with a person that I've had for all my life is my Mom. Every time I talked to her I was forced to acknowledge God, but not because of anything she said, but because I knew how strong my Mom's belief in God was.

I haven't kept in touch with childhood friends, or pen-pals that I use to write. My adult relationships have never lasted very long. Even with the relationships with my children I have felt so out of touch sometimes. The only reason why my marriage has lasted this long is because I finally put God first in my life. I think what I've had such a hard time with is the priority of my relationships. They could change order on a daily basis. Now that I've got my priorities straightened out a little, I'm able to better balance my time and work on my relationships with different people.

Okay, total honesty time for me...because I need to hear it myself. As an adult, I haven't wanted friends because it takes time that I didn't think I had. Now I realize it was time that I didn't want to give. This book says that when you give someone your time, you give them a portion of your life. I'm dedicating portions of my life to you everyday because even though I may not even know you...God does. Because you are important to Him, you are worth my time.

As long as God is first in my life, I can ensure that relationships will be my first priority.

This email came at just the right time to end this post:

The following is the philosophy of Charles Schultz, the creator of the "Peanuts" comic strip. You don't have to actually answer the questions. Just read the e-mail straight through, and you'll get the point.

1. Name the five wealthiest people in the world.
2. Name the last five Heisman trophy winners.
3. Name the last five winners of the Miss America.
4. Name ten people who have won the Nobel or Pulitzer Prize.
5. Name the last half dozen Academy Award winner for best actor and actress.
6. Name the last decade's worth of World Series winners.

How did you do? The point is, none of us remember the headliners of yesterday. These are no second-rate achievers. They are the best in their fields. But the applause dies. Awards tarnish. Achievements are forgotten. Accolades and certificates are buried with their owners.

Here's another quiz. See how you do on this one:

1. List a few teachers who aided your journey through school.
2. Name three friends who have helped you through a difficult time.
3. Name five people who have taught you something worthwhile.
4. Think of a few people who have made you feel appreciated and special.
5. Think of five people you enjoy spending time with.

Easier?
The lesson: The people who make a difference in your life are not the ones with the most credentials, the most money, or the most awards. They are the ones that care.