Because of Relationship

Its been a while since I've written a post. A lot has been going on. Not that that's an excuse, its just that I've been speaking it or doing it, vs. writing it. So I hope that any rust is okay, and that I continue to speak and do rather than write. Or at least alongside it.

I've been rereading Don Miller's book Searching for God Knows What. It is a great read and was a big catalyst for introspection into my faith, and how its lived out, my first time through the pages. It talks a ton about the concept of relationship vs. lists. Particularly relationship with God vs. what is required to be a Christian. And what we think actually pleases God.

I was in discussion with my wife the other day, and we were talking about this concept. How, as a spouse, there are certain things you do and don't do. When I look at a marriage there are things like, dating another woman, keeping secrets, ignoring, or not listening, of which the "manual" would tell you you can't do. The joyful thing within real relationship is that dating another woman, keeping secrets, ignoring, or not listening to, the things you don't do—not because of any marital rules, or you could argue even vows—come out of relationship.

BECAUSE I am in relationship I will not do such and such. BECAUSE I am in relationship I will do such and such.

I've known a lot of folks that do or don't do things because of certain rules. Even live their faith out this way. And I think that would just exhaust the heck out of me, and I'd be laden with failures. My inability to keep the rules would be exposed. Perhaps I could manage the exposure, or at least I'd think I could.

But when it comes to true love, and true relation, we can't function out of rules (or at least I can't.). We must function from our relationship.