Thursday, November 10, 2011

Connections


If you think about every person you talk to and interact with during a weeks time it is almost overwhelming.  Even when we stay at home,. We wind up connecting with other people, even if it’s on the phone.  Back when I was at Tech, we spent a lot of time making graphs.  I can imagine a graph of the connections that I have had in just today.  Interacting with others takes up most of my day, even on days that I don’t work.  But today was busy. 

All morning long, the connections were on the phone, except when I talked with Sheryl.  She was the only live person that I connected up with this morning.  But I was on the phone most of the morning.  Then this afternoon I was able to get out.  There were more live connections and then tonight at work, there were even more.  We have varying degrees of strength in our connections.  Some are strong, powerful and long lasting.  Others are quick and brief.  Tonight I had both. 

Obviously some of your strongest connections are your family.  These connections are made over time, and even when you don’t see each other, they are still there.  Friends are another strong connection.  But, you normally see your friends even more than your family.   I remember one of the first books that I read on relational evangelism.  It was “concentric circles of concern.”  It talked about rings of connectedness.

Last week in Redding, Danny Silk talked about the same circles in a different way.  He was talking about boundaries, and how if you didn’t put up boundaries, then everyone would be bothering and pulling on you all the time.  I’m fairly good about boundaries.  I need to work on them a little, but for the most part, I do pretty well.  But, connections are the key to relationship.  It takes someone willing to make and keep connections to work into a relationship.  We thrive on relationships, and I am no exception.  The relationships we make come from our connections. So, don’t think that they are not about relationships, but they are about the opportunity to develop relationships.  Every connection doesn’t turn into a relationship, but no relationship is ever formed without the first connection.  Yes, connections are important.  Don’t take them for granted.

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