The value of relationships

Today’s post goes live Wednesday, November 27, 2019. Since it’s the day before Thanksgiving, I want to focus on thankfulness.

Today’s photo screams thankfulness. Look again. You see it, don’t you? That’s okay if you don’t. I’ll try to help you get there.

Sometimes the next photo in my lineup wants me to be creative. Sometimes, they pull me toward a theological question. This one begs me to reflect.

Our family has often looked for activities we can do together. At one point we thought disc golf might be the ticket. As a never-improving golfer, I thought disc golf looked fun. It had to be less expensive than regular golf, and a great activity for the family.

We’d all tossed a Frisbee around, but I knew most disc golfers didn’t use Frisbees we were used to. So, I walked around my office corner to the perfect person to help. My co-worker and next-door office neighbor, Jim Banbury, is a champion disc golfer. I knew he was good and had won many tournaments. Who better to give advice on disc golf.

Jim loaned me the set of discs in the photo. A couple of my girls and I headed to a local school. A few baskets on their open lawn provided a great place to test our skills. I wasn’t about to intrude on a real disc golf course this early in my disc golf career.

Guess what? It wasn’t as easy as we thought. Just holding those discs told us we were trying something way different than tossing a Frisbee. As it turned out, disc golf didn’t gain any players from our outing.

Since none of us became players, what value was there in Jim’s act of loaning us his discs? Could be it was a one-and-done event where we all said, “Okay, tried that.” Or, maybe there’s value for you in hearing a note of encouragement this Thanksgiving season.

Think about the people you are going to be seeing Thursday. Whether you’re celebrating with many or a few, you’ll not be replicas of one another.

When I look at those discs, I see differences. Do you see them? Different colors, sizes, shapes. Some smooth, some not so much. Some are new and a few have been though a lot. There’s a shiny one and more than one all nicked and scratched. Some have large round edges, some are leaning toward sharp.

The people around us this season are going to be that way. They have stories. That shine? It may be masking dents, nicks and scratches from recent losses. Those sharp edges? They may be providing a defense from a history they don’t want you to know about. Not everyone is hiding something, but we all want to look our best.

The Apostle Paul wrote a letter on behalf of himself, Silvanus and Timothy, to the church at Thessalonica. In the Bible, it’s called 1 Thessalonians. In verse 2 he shares a message to the church. After sharing a brief greeting, Paul writes,

“We give thanks to God always for all of you, making mention of you in our prayers.”

The letter was meant to encourage the church almost 2,000 years ago, as well as us today. Similarly, I want to encourage you. No matter your story, or whether you share your scars or hide them, I pray God’s blessings on you this Thanksgiving. I thank Him for you. For what you bring to this world.

May your relationships deepen during this time of thankfulness. Allow someone to reach out to you. In turn, reach out to someone.

Neither Jim, nor I, knew the value of his sharing a bag full of discs. As one of the most genuine people I know, he did what he does. He shared of himself and his possessions. If you needed this reminder, the value of that sharing is immeasurable.

Happy Thanksgiving!