The Human Connection
Chad Reaves
There is something about human connection; whether that be through communication, working together, friendships, family, or the connection between spouses. We thrive off the energy of others, while some of us try to push away others, which drains the energy out of us. I am by no means a relationship expert, and I have had my share of broken relationships. One thing I do know is it takes a lot of work to have strong relationships, but it is the most fulfilling work you will ever do.
Every human connection is the start of a relationship. That clerk at the gas station now has a relationship with you, that barista at the coffee shop you always go to has a relationship with you. Everyday connections spark a flame between you and the other person. Some flames are stronger, such as those between you and your family, friends and co-workers. But sometimes those small flame connections can inspire you in big ways.
Back when I was in college I worked at Starbucks, and I vividly remember an interaction I had with a father and his seven-year-old daughter. He got just a regular coffee, but he got his daughter a vanilla bean Frappuccino and a pink cake pop. She was so happy, as you can imagine. After I handed the father his coffee and his daughter the cake pop and Frappuccino, they both said thank you and then went to sit down in the comfy chairs in the corner. As I made drinks for other incoming customers, I looked over to the father and his daughter. The little girl was talking a mile a minute to her daddy, and the thing that made my heart full was the dad was soaking up every word that his seven-year-old daughter was saying. He was fully engaged, and to him and his sweet daughter, they might as well have been the only two in the room. Now this connection for some would have no effect, they would just see a father and a daughter, but for me, that small relational flame made my heart full and my life a little bit better. This human connection I observed had a lasting impact on my life. As I looked upon that father and daughter, I saw love, compassion, joy, and a dad that is embracing the relationship between him and his daughter.
That small glimpse into this relationship reminded me of Colossians 3:12-17:
“Therefore, as God’s chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience. Bear with each other and forgive one another if any of you has a grievance against someone. Forgive as the Lord forgave you. And over all these virtues put on love, which binds them all together in perfect unity. Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, since as members of one body you were called to peace. And be thankful. Let the message of Christ dwell among you richly as you teach and admonish one another with all wisdom through psalms, hymns, and songs from the Spirit, singing to God with gratitude in your hearts. And whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him.”
We are called to position ourselves in a way that builds strong human connection. Clothing ourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience does not just happen; it takes prayer, being consumed in the word of God, and ultimately God’s love. When I look at the relationship that father had with his daughter in that moment in Starbucks, I catch a glimpse of the relationship God has with us. We in spiritual adolescence are speaking a mile a minute, going through all the things in our lives, and our father doesn't have a posture of judgment or critique. He has a posture of joy and happiness that He gets to be engaged with one of His children and they are engaged with Him.
The best thing about our relationship with Christ is that we get to engage with Him at any moment. So my encouragement to you is to take that opportunity and engage with Him fully. This relationship we have with Jesus gives us the model of how we can engage with others and how we can posture ourselves in those relationships. We can make the choice to forgive as the Lord forgave us, we can choose to let the peace of Christ rule our hearts, and we can choose to be thankful. So in our relationships with others, let us be engaged and accept Christ’s love so we can in turn love others, and be engaged.