Of Weddings and Birthdays

There are many celebrations to partake in our lives. As of next week, I will have been to three weddings in just a handful of months. I celebrated a milestone birthday myself back in January, and today was a major milestone birthday for my mom.

These are times of joy for people. It's good to have these moments; in them, we can reflect on our lives, cherish the ones we love, and ultimately thank God for the gifts He gives.

Our relationships are arguably our greatest gift, outside of salvation. As such, we ought to invest in them.

I'm guilty of failing to do so. I find that I am forgetful, that I am not entirely present when I should be, and that I can be self-centered. It doesn't help that I am a bit antisocial.

But I'm glad we can have these moments to celebrate the good gifts of life.

Maybe we should be more mindful in the in-between times, that is, the multitude of moments between birthdays and weddings. Should we relegate our celebration to just a handful of days a year? Or should we let people know, even just randomly, that we care for them?

We will not be perfect with it; we're going to forget. Our selfishness and pride will get in the way.

Not to mention, there will be difficult relationships that we struggle to maintain, and yet are not reciprocated.

There will be the ignored phone calls, the arguments, and did I mention the pride? We can struggle so much to be there for others, and how we respond to how others react to us. Even so, God not only gives us the strength and love to be there for others, but He also gives it to others so they might be there for us as well.

There will be comforting conversations amid a crisis, the texts saying "I'm praying for you," the people by your hospital bed.

In Proverbs, the writer (that I'm paraphrasing) indicates it's better to have a friend who is near than a brother who is far away (Proverbs 27:10).

.

The New Testament speaks to the family nature of believers, of the church.

And while we will have our differences, maybe we need to cling to this beautiful family God has given us. This is our forever family.

Don't misunderstand, our earthly families are a gift from God as well. I'm just saying that, whether they are blood relatives or blood-bought family, we need to care for and be thankful for the relationships God has given us.

So, while I know I am a failure in this endeavor, maybe as we celebrate the high points in our relationships, we would work to remember others in the in-between times, recognizing they are a gift from God.