Created for Relationships

Galatians 6:2 tells us to carry one another’s burdens.

I’ve been meditating on this idea heavily.

I’m coming up on almost one year since my youngest child graduated from high school. Soon after that, both of my young adult children left for college, and my nest was empty for the first time.

For many people, this is a complex and intensely emotional transition.

Life was a bit hectic just before college move-in for my youngest. The first couple of weeks were difficult for her, but I stayed pretty even. I have been pondering why my experience was not what I had imagined.

I have concluded that relationships are what held me up. I have a few deep friendships that see me through EVERYTHING. I am so thankful for those women who know me so intimately that we can just sit in the same room, be still and quiet, and the Holy Spirit does all of the talking. If you have 1-3 people in your life that fit that description, you are blessed beyond measure.

I also have friends who walk with me through the regular day-to-day life. We share prayer requests and stories about family, jobs, and church. They are consistent, and my life is rich because they are part of it. Journey and Discipleship groups are great places to start or nurture those relationships. 

Pastor Matt has reminded us that relationships are everything through the stories of the man with leprosy and the paralyzed man. We are created to be in a relationship with Jesus and each other. When those relationships are unhealthy or severed, we become spiritually sick. The pandemic forced us to separate from each other physically. This was difficult and traumatic for everyone, especially those who did not already have deep connections with other people.

I thought about the beginning of the pandemic when Pastor Matt talked about how people with leprosy were treated and expected to act. They are forced to live outside of the community’s physical safety and daily support. You’re going through life working, raising a family, tending to personal tasks, and suddenly being cut off from society.

Marrian-Webster defines trauma as “a disordered psychic or behavioral state resulting from severe mental or emotional stress or physical injury.” 

Trauma has a way of manifesting in our bodies and being stored in places that are triggered by simple everyday events. A specific smell, sound, or sight sends the person back into the event. I cannot even imagine how a person with leprosy would have continually relived when the priest declared them unclean and banished them from society.

How does a person move forward after a traumatic event? Through relationships. The relationships with professionals who guide them through the psychological and clinical obstacles. Relationships with friends and family who are supportive and caring. Relationship with Jesus to experience His healing. I believe that all three of these are necessary for healing.

How did I not experience a profound and challenging transition when my nest emptied? I was grounded in relationships. I was never alone. When I felt alone, I would get a text or a phone call from someone saying, “you’re on my mind, and I wanted to check in on you.” That was the Holy Spirit reaching out to my community when I could not do it for myself.

Jesus is in the details.

Where have you seen Him lately?