It Really Is All About Relationships!

Jan 29, 2013 by Jim and Jerolyn Bogear

It really is all about relationships!. I am not sure we can say this enough. We lost a friend a couple of weeks ago to cancer. It took his life so quickly from the time he found out. Too often we get so busy with life and believing that we have to accomplish so much that we miss the opportunity to invest in the lives of others and have them invest in us.

For some of us that seem to be driven the task is at hand, and it has to be conquered. It is easy for me (Jim) to claim it is all about relationships but then miss the moments to enjoy others. It is easy to use people, even when we really are not intending to do so, to accomplish what is on our agenda.

Jerolyn and I have both lost our moms so we know some of what losing a loved one is about. It hurts and is difficult, but it also causes us to pause and reflect on what life is really about…our faith, family, and friends. Most of us have heard this many times but what do we actually do to invest in relationships to make a difference? What am I doing to make sure my life is about relationships?

As we look at the priorities of relationships we need to ask ourselves about our first relationship with God, and then those relationships that we claim are important. Am I taking the time to stop and listen and care for others or moving so fast that I “don’t have time to listen, talk, and involve myself in others?”

We will miss our friend, like so many of you who are dealing with loss of a loved one, family or friend. But for the days we do have together with one another let’s make the most of them to invest in what is important and keep that which is a priority that, a priority…one another. Let’s re-connect with those that are broken relationships, and develop stronger with those we have wonderful relationships. If life really is all about relationships, let’s make them the priority they warrant. Let’s not get so busy with the things of life that we miss the people in our lives.

“Timely” suggestions to make relationships a priority:

Make time- Prioritize this value of relationships by committing to making it happen. Grab your calendar and carve some time out to make the priority of people in our lives and the relationships we want to have with them a part of our calendar.

Spend time– Do not simply put some dates on the calendar, but fulfill these with relationships and choose to commit to a certain amount of time for these relationships. Many of us have dates scheduled on our calendars for a number of appointments or commitments, such as writing or planning, but have allowed other, even very good, things to creep into the calendar during these times. Although we have “made time” in our schedules for thes,e we have chosen to prioritize other things and caused us to not actually “spend the time.”

Be there during the time– Choose to be there both physically and emotionally. Listen and talk. Share, laugh, and genuinely connect with each other or the group of people you are choosing to invest in those relationships. For some of us this may be a new thought in our technological world but Experience Conversation!!! Learn to be all in rather than doing a hundred and one other things…

With whom do you need to sit down with over a coke, share life, let them know how important they are in your life, and listen to one another? Take the time today for the old adage is so true, we don’t know how much time we really do have. Life…it really is ALL ABOUT RELATIONSHIPS!

~Jim and Jerolyn