Relationships That Outlast Us

Lately, there have been many conversations in our home about what the future looks like for us, financially and vocationally. It’s the time in life when you begin to realize that your investments matter. . . a lot. Unless you think you will be able to be gainfully employed until you die, it is really critical how you invest in your retirement, financially speaking. There are other ways to invest, however, that are even more important. The investment we have made in our relationship as husband and wife is also preparing us for a strong and healthy future together and that cannot be taken from us, no matter the financial or health implications.

Take a minute and think about the relationships in which you are currently investing. How are these relationships growing you as a person? How are they growing the people with whom you spend time? What is the return on your investment? Are you investing yourself in a legacy that will outlive your days on this earth? What are you pouring into your future with your spouse? How about your children? When they are grown and you are gone, what will they say is the legacy you left behind?

Here is another topic of conversation in the Brady home, of late. Maybe you have noticed that super bright star in the western sky in the evenings this month. It isn’t actually a star, but a planet. Venus is somewhere around 25 million miles away from us, yet its light shines brighter than all the stars. And about those stars… the nearest one to us Earthlings is Proxima Centauri. It is 4.23 light years (23 trillion miles- give or take) away from the Earth's solar system. Just to put that into perspective, the Voyager 1 spacecraft was launched in 1977. It travels at approximately 38,000 miles per hour and is scheduled to reach Proxima Centauri in 80,000 years.

Somehow, in my not so scientific mind, there is a connection between our investment in our relationships with others and the heavenly lights. Our families have been given to us for more than our pleasure. They are in closest proximity to us and we shine the brightest on them. Good or bad, they are looking at our light and it is having an impact that will last longer than we will. As a matter of fact, some of the starlight we see at night, so the experts say, is traveling to us long after the star has ceased to exist.

If you are reading this, you are a living being with the ability to reflect the light of Jesus on all the people around you. In order to do that, however, you must remain in close proximity to Him. Daily time with Jesus, learning from His life and His words, listening for His Spirit to direct your day, your words, your attitudes, your thoughts will all factor into the light that you are shining in every relationship you have. Particularly those nearest you. And that light from you will shine far beyond your lifetime. Like the heavenly lights, our lives are meant to leave behind a light for generations to come.

Taking all this into consideration, take a look at your relationships, at home, at work, during leisure time, at school… etc. What light are you reflecting? How are you directing others to the true Light of the world? Are you involved in a relationship that allows the Light of Jesus to draw you closer to Him? We all need that friend we vent to, but in the end, does that friend bring you back to the Truth? The truth is that we are His people, commanded to love and serve God and one another. That should be where that venting session ends. Is that the light that your friends reflect? That you reflect for them? If not, you are possibly seeing life with your own self at the center, living for the day, for the “feeling,” for the illusive happiness you feel you are entitled. If that is where you find yourself, I can guarantee that you will become as comfortable as a fish out of water, for you are seeking the wrong things for your species.

You were created to be a carrier of LIGHT in our dark world. Examine your relationships and make sure that you are reflecting the LIGHT of Jesus. Every single day, be the light that will shine in the hearts of people for generations after your earthly vessel has returned to dust.

“Lord, remind us each night as we see the heavenly lights, that we are created to carry your light to the world in such a manner as to guide others to You even after we are gone. Help us to invest in relationships that will allow us to shine and receive Your light into the darkest corners of our hearts so that we can experience Your transformation. Thank You for the eternal nature of  Your light that will shine until You return. Amen.”