Nurturing Relationships
Saturday, September 2, 2023
A friend loves at all times. Prov. 17:17, NIV.
I was straightening my desk today when I came across a birthday card that I received two months ago. The front of the card pictures a small animal with a quizzical expression on its face, saying, “Happy Birthday. Even with your ageless good looks, brains, and talent, you still manage to be a regular person!” Inside the card, the punch line reads “I guess you eat a lot of fiber.”
I enjoyed the experience of reading this card again several weeks after I had initially received it, partly because of the “fiber” line, but more because of the friendship it expressed. The birthday card was from my sister, Becky. She never forgets my birthday. Nor my brother’s, nor those of our parents, of our spouses and children, or of countless cousins, aunts and uncles, in-laws, outlaws, casual acquaintances, and total strangers.
Becky loves people, and she lets them know it. She keeps a calendar, regularly updated, that contains vital statistics regarding the significant people in her life. Not just birthdays, but anniversaries, graduations, first tooth, first step, first date . . . she has recorded all the times and circumstances.
And whenever possible, she’s there. Weddings, funerals, reunions, holidays, and homecomings, she’s part of the action—preparing, organizing, cooking, decorating, photographing, loving.
If she happens to be traveling within 100 miles or so, we can count on a visit. It’s like the arrival of the Pony Express. Because she initiates communication, people reciprocate, and Becky has all the news.
My brother sells industrial adhesives. Companies use his products primarily in labeling and packaging to provide a reliable seal for wrappers and containers. Bob’s glue ensures product freshness and protects the integrity of packaged goods. Major manufacturers depend upon Bob and his company to provide quality products and service.
Becky is the communal adhesive of our family. Her ongoing commitment to communication and participation in the lives of her family and friends contributes to the freshness of our experience and supports the integrity of our relationships. We depend upon her to help us maintain the quality and richness of our lives together.
Nurturing relationships produce health and happiness. How can you be like Becky today?
I was straightening my desk today when I came across a birthday card that I received two months ago. The front of the card pictures a small animal with a quizzical expression on its face, saying, “Happy Birthday. Even with your ageless good looks, brains, and talent, you still manage to be a regular person!” Inside the card, the punch line reads “I guess you eat a lot of fiber.”
I enjoyed the experience of reading this card again several weeks after I had initially received it, partly because of the “fiber” line, but more because of the friendship it expressed. The birthday card was from my sister, Becky. She never forgets my birthday. Nor my brother’s, nor those of our parents, of our spouses and children, or of countless cousins, aunts and uncles, in-laws, outlaws, casual acquaintances, and total strangers.
Becky loves people, and she lets them know it. She keeps a calendar, regularly updated, that contains vital statistics regarding the significant people in her life. Not just birthdays, but anniversaries, graduations, first tooth, first step, first date . . . she has recorded all the times and circumstances.
And whenever possible, she’s there. Weddings, funerals, reunions, holidays, and homecomings, she’s part of the action—preparing, organizing, cooking, decorating, photographing, loving.
If she happens to be traveling within 100 miles or so, we can count on a visit. It’s like the arrival of the Pony Express. Because she initiates communication, people reciprocate, and Becky has all the news.
My brother sells industrial adhesives. Companies use his products primarily in labeling and packaging to provide a reliable seal for wrappers and containers. Bob’s glue ensures product freshness and protects the integrity of packaged goods. Major manufacturers depend upon Bob and his company to provide quality products and service.
Becky is the communal adhesive of our family. Her ongoing commitment to communication and participation in the lives of her family and friends contributes to the freshness of our experience and supports the integrity of our relationships. We depend upon her to help us maintain the quality and richness of our lives together.
Nurturing relationships produce health and happiness. How can you be like Becky today?
Used by permission of Health Ministries, North American Division of Seventh-day Adventists.
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