RELATIONSHIP(s) RESTORED ...

Or
RESTORING RELATIONSHIPS?
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One might think that after a year with RELATIONSHIP (s) as someone's One Word (similar to a resolution made but forgotten after the first few months of the year) that the main goal with this choice might be: Restoring; so then by the end of the year, there should be some progress of this having been accomplished or Restored. But in my case, this would truly be a miracle!  I, for one, was not even considering that this might be the reason that God spoke this Word to me. In fact, the other part in any of my RELATIONSHIP(s) are not even considering this remote possibility. So my attitude could be - "then why should I?" The truth is that I was not even remotely thinking this might be the outcome of God dealing with me on this One Word: RELATIONSHIP - either. However, as my previous post this week indicated I had 2 plans saved on just this.

RELATIONSHIPS RESTORED

RESTORING RELATIONSHIPS

Heaven knows why I chose these or left them in my saved plans until the final week of 2022.
Might it be that subconsciously, I was hoping that God just might turn one around.
Probably not.
At least not the one that really is the worst!
THAT truly would take a divine miracle.
Yet, this did make me aware
that THAT RELATIONSHIP is not or was not
the only one in need of work.

The actual truth is that I had worked on RESTORATION years ago - decades ago and even joined a Christian small group in a home (Rebuilders)for working on reconciliation, restoration, recovery, rebuilding. So, the reason I think that God brought me back to this One Word of RELATIONSHIP (s) is so that I would see that my RELATIONSHIP with Him - God; has grown and deepened; yet in my human RELATIONSHIPs I still needed to address improvement and He has shown me that throughout my entire life, I had developed unhealthy patterns in many different RELATIONSHIPs and that this still is impacting my life and those RELATIONSHIPs. I really need to examine and learn (relearn) how to have Healthy RELATIONSHIPs so 2022 was a year of searching my heart and my life to know what I need to change and have not yet changed. Instead I have been reversing any positive progress and accepting isolation more and more away from any and all RELATIONSHIPs; and COVID-19 certainly did not help. In fact, it was the exact thing I needed in my life to face the fact that I was withdrawing from people and becoming content with that ... contrary to what God's purpose is and was for me.

Even the way that God created me to be an extrovert was changing. At first, I thought this was perhaps a way for me to cope with aging and hearing loss... to withdraw. Not even attending my High School 50th Reunion with precious friends changed this. I actually sat outside on the deck instead of socializing which normally would have been my way. Thankfully quite a few of my dearest friends came out and made me feel a part of the reunion. (In part I did this with my COVID protocol in mind as well). But trust me, I have found many other reasons that I was giving myself as well to justify this radical change in me. Still God wanted me to know and was speaking to me that I need to make an effort because "we need one another" (Joan Baez) which just came to me out of the blue (lol) And no, I was not even a fan of Joan Baez, but her words and some songs I do enjoy & somehow this reading by her of words from John Donne stuck so it must have been from the song sung by the Lettermen [the lyrics follow] {I just found out that Tenth Avenue has a song with the title "No Man is an Island" too} 

"No man is an island, No man stands alone; Each man's joy is joy to me, Each man's grief is my own. We need one another, So I will defend, Each man as my brother, Each man as my friend. I saw the people gather, I heard music start, The song that they were singing, Is ringing in my heart. No man is an island, Way out in the blue, We all look to the one above, For our strength to renew. When I help my brother, Then I know that I, Plant the seed of friendship, That will never die."

{I did not hear the last 4 stanzas anywhere}

I do not feel like "an island". I realize that I don't and can't stand alone. However, I do sense that our nation more and more has forgotten the meaning of the words in this song. And in this technological age, too many have lost contact with others and its importance. The 1st plan deals more with our Christian outreach in the world - a topic for another place & time. 

So far, neither - or none of the aforementioned reading plans that I am finishing seem to be meant for me ... yet I will finish them and move on to 2023 and a new One Word, knowing that I am far from finished with this one - God is NOT done with me yet! nor any of my RELATION-SHIPs.

I'm still thinking that Louie Giglio's RELAT(able) was perhaps one of the best this past year. As you can see, I am searching through the plans that I have finished this past year hoping that some of them made an impact. Pastor Rick Warren's Awesome Relationships was good also but I had the additional help from his Daily Hope radio broadcast. My year long devotional book has been the best resource for me and the author's website.

Once again, my goal was not to miraculously see RELATIONSHIPs RESTORED (and as of today, not one has been restored) ... and this entire blog post has not given you any clues in how to restore RELATIONSHIPs (you need to look further than this blogger for that kind of insights) however, I can honestly say that I am hopeful that restoring RELATIONSHIPS is a process that has begun in some ways but not at all this year of 2022. When I began this blog post I was in a totally different frame of mind then the Spirit has led me. Perhaps that will be my blog post for tomorrow. I do know that the story of the Prodigal Son is the best story as regards RELATIONSHIPS RESTORED & most of us can RELATE to being a "prodigal" child.

[credit]

Luke 15:11-32

Thank You Father God

for restoring this

Prodigal

There actually is a website "Restoring Relationships"  and in case you need some steps in "restoring broken relationships" this article from Faith Gateway may help. And of course, although this may be included in another blog post, some biblical verses on "restoring relationships" and the two reading plans from You Version also have more. In case, I gave you a different idea, God is in the business of restoring relationships and truly is concerned that we always do our best with our relationships and so restoring relationships is a high priority.