Never Alone, Never Again – You Decide

You don’t have to do life alone. But some of you choose to. I cannot imagine why. Oh, I know…you have many relationships; you know lots of people. You have Facebook friends and Twitter peeps. You know some guys in the softball league or some gals at the monthly business leaders luncheon. You trade contacts and share ideas. You talk about the weather, the kids, the job, and the economy.

But are you known? To be known is to place the heart-level truth about yourself into the hands of another person. And to trust, they will receive it and guard it. And then to do the same for them. Can you really say that you are known deeply and have others whom you know at the heart level?

It starts small. It means doing some life together – a meal, a coffee, playtime with other moms and kids, reading a book, going to a museum, volunteering together to serve the poor. It’s not hard, but it takes some effort.

And it means a conversation – about life and love and hope and fear and truth and the world. Pick a topic and tell a story – your story. How did you get here from there? What makes you smile? What stirs your passions? What gets you really mad? What kind of injustice is so intolerable that you cannot stand it anymore? What about your work gives you a rush; what part of it gives you a headache?

Just talk and listen – listen really well and very carefully. With your ears and eyes and emotions.

But whatever you do make a commitment to never stand alone. Never.

I met with a good friend, someone who has championed the cause of community with me for many years, and has helped build it with others around the world. We have been partners, co-workers, and fellow employees. I love him. I think the world of him. And of his wife and their broader family.

But more important than that, we know the pain and the darkness of one another’s lives; the scary parts and beautiful parts; we laugh until we cry; we spur one another on; we provide counsel and feedback for decisions; we solve problems; and much of the time we simply share a slice or two of life – the good, bad and ugly. We know the gore and the glory. Yet we still do life together.

We made a commitment a long time ago to never do life alone – never again.

How about you? When will you move beyond the glossy surface of superficial relationships and breakthrough into the depth of relational intimacy? Sound scary? Might be.

But life matters. And it is VERY short. So what are you waiting for?