on being known

We all realize, from a young age, that other people are important. Everyone wants to be loved by someone; everyone wants to have friends. But it's only as I've gotten older that I've realized the true extent to which God has created us as relational creatures. He made us to be known.

When I feel lonely or unknown, I have a tendency to feel wimpy. The fact that I am bothered by lonsomeness is a sign of weakness. I ought to be stronger, to have more faith, and to be one of those people who needs nothing more than knowing I am a child of the King. It feels like I'm failing. But I've realized that God's earnest pursuit of our love and devotion is not weak. It is a part of His very nature - a part that cannot be removed without dramatically changing God Himself. And as children of God, we've all been created to reflect Him. The desire for companionship - to be known and loved - comes from the Lord. It's no sign of weakness or failure. I only fall into my sinful human nature when I place the importance of having people in my life above God.

That being said, I've been thinking lately how important it is to have people that know you. Most of us have a number of friends, acquaintances, colleagues - people who care about us... but how many of us have a number of people who know them?

I'll be honest - I could use a few more friends. (I don't know anyone who would honestly turn away more friends, but I've been feeling a little lacking here lately). I like to sit at coffee shops and talk for hours. Going shopping and trying on crazy stuff you have no need of and no intention of buying - a fabulous pastime. I love eating out with friends and laughing until my stomach cramps and tears pour out of my eyes. But these are side effects - things that follow relationships where there truly exists knowledge and love.

Distance makes that hard - because no matter how much you love someone, it becomes tougher to know them when you're not a part of their everyday life. Proximity helps. That's when you hear about all the little things - stuff that seems to trivial to mention in precious emails or phone calls. It can't all be about big, momentous updates. Sometimes it needs to be about the fact that you've just discovered Eggo NutriGrain Blueberry Waffles - and your life will never be the same again. Or that there's a spot on the road in front of your house that now smells a little like Cherry Peach Salsa (mostly because you dropped a jar of it yesterday).

I may well have scared anyone who reads this (all three of you) off of ever wanting to know me... but it still holds true that while God knits each of us together in thrillingly unique ways, He weaves into all of us a need to know and be known.

I'm just saying.