What We Have Been Missing

Friends always show their love. What are brothers for if not to share troubles?
~ Proverbs 17:17

Iron sharpens iron,
and one man sharpens another.
—Proverbs 27:17

The last year of change has brought some very different challenges than what we would normally have been prepared for. For most, the biggest challenges may have been finding time for family and friends with busy schedules, changing jobs, financial and work stresses, or health issues, to name a few.

Instead, we ended up with a perfect storm (for many, not all): A foundation of irresponsibility with our health and wellness, misplaced trust in mainstream media, an apathetic approach to politics and justice, and most importantly, as a nation, a huge step away from living our lives honoring to God and the principles we can find in biblical values. Whether you are a believer or not, it’s pretty hard to argue that to “love you neighbor as yourself” is a bad thing.

When a crisis hit, such as the recent infectious diseases, things hit the proverbial fan. It started by taking advantage of many of our existing poor health problems that had weakened us as a population and harmed many. Then, it accelerated by politicians who lacked the humility to adapt with changing facts and admit they might have been wrong on certain decisions, while those decisions caused mass fear, anxiety, job loss, and an unprecedented isolation of families and relationships. We all can see how much even the slightest amount of humility in the situation could have done so much good!

To pour salt on the wound, the mainstream media, realizing they’ve captivated the world, pushed fear and anger against anyone they could night and day. Governments blindly followed each other regardless of the uniqueness of each countries populations, social and and health situations, and the consequences are grave. The unintended consequences of these actions will reverberate for many years.

We all watched this, so I won’t belabor the topic. For us closer to home and the gym, things have shifted. Thankfully, in Texas, things are pretty much back to normal. We get to see people regularly, enjoy workouts together and fresh air, and since almost everyone we know got the most recent strain (Thanking God it was mild for almost everyone!) and the blessing of a boost of immunity from this strain, even many with concerns can enjoy time together.

However, I still see shimmers of the damage wrought over the past two years of fear and isolation. It echoes here and there as some disagree about policies and many are uncomfortable discussing anything related to the last two years. Even as so much information and data has been recorded and updated to help us understand what happened, what policies are effective, what the side effects are from the infection or inoculation, how to help out bodies repair naturally (another upcoming post), etc. The fear still persists like a dark cloud over so many.

When I read those verses in Proverbs on how “Iron sharpens iron, and one man sharpens another,” I realized just how much we need to spend time together, in person, talking, working, laughing, and enjoying building relationships as we were designed by our Creator to do. We weren’t meant for isolation, we were meant to live, to struggle and grow together, and be there to love and support each other in all things.

I had lunch with one of our long time members and friends this week to catch up and continue to follow through on my goal of building a closer personal relationship with those in my life. We burned through an hour talking about all sorts of things and it was awesome. Afterwards, he texted me and said “I’m old school, no zoom, face to face, handshakes” and I just chuckled. I agree, and enjoy the same.

I love seeing and spending time with the people in my life. I realize that’s one of the ways I build relationships - spending time together.

It has not been easy for the gym, specifically, to shift back to seeing each other more regularly, coming to events and workouts outside of the normal class times, but I’m optimistic we can change that. I have yet to find one of us that will tell me they don’t enjoy seeing everyone when they have the chance, so I’m going to give everyone as many opportunities as I can to come together, spend time getting to know each other, and live life the way it was intended.

Have a great week!!

If I speak in the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I am a noisy gong or a clanging cymbal. 2 And if I have prophetic powers, and understand all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have all faith, so as to remove mountains, but have not love, I am nothing. 3 If I give away all I have, and if I deliver up my body to be burned,[a] but have not love, I gain nothing.

4 Love is patient and kind; love does not envy or boast; it is not arrogant 5 or rude. It does not insist on its own way; it is not irritable or resentful;[b] 6 it does not rejoice at wrongdoing, but rejoices with the truth. 7 Love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.

8 Love never ends. As for prophecies, they will pass away; as for tongues, they will cease; as for knowledge, it will pass away. 9 For we know in part and we prophesy in part, 10 but when the perfect comes, the partial will pass away. 11 When I was a child, I spoke like a child, I thought like a child, I reasoned like a child. When I became a man, I gave up childish ways. 12 For now we see in a mirror dimly, but then face to face. Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I have been fully known.

13 So now faith, hope, and love abide, these three; but the greatest of these is love.

1st Corinthians 13:1-13