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Life really is about the everyday process of living in relationship with other people.  There are so many activities, commitments and various circumstances happening that developing deep connection is challenging.  The noise of life is deafening and it's often easier to be overcome by it and let it sweep us away in busyness because that's easier than the alternative.  What's the alternative you may ask?  May I be so bold as to say real growth?  That is the alternative and guess what....it's uncomfortable.

It's much easier to let the strong tide of life sweep you along with it than it is to swim against it and pursue this life in Christ.  Remember the movie Castaway with Tom Hanks?  He was stuck on that island because the tide was so strong he didn't have a sail to get past that initial wave until one day a porta-potty door came washing in and that was his sail.  He fashioned it as a sail on his island made boat and made it over that massive, seemingly impossible wave to make it out into the vast ocean for his journey home.   I give this example to make the point that it is easy to hide from God and from one another in the tides of life.  So then what are we to be doing?

I'm glad you asked.  The term, "deep connection", understandably makes many people feel uneasy.  This type of relationship between people is developed over time as trust is built.  Circumstances that happen throughout our lives leave some pretty deep impressions and it often takes time to release, forgive, trust, love, and develop new habits and ways of seeing life and people.  Let's admit that we, as a people group, can be messy, inconsistent, moody, immature and overall unstable.  These are certainly not ingredients that lead to trust and deep connection.  With the odds seemingly so stacked against us, progress seems so out of reach.

So, we try all the self help stuff, we read all the books, and after you wear yourself out and finally see that your still weary, exhausted and defeated then you're finally ready to hear what I have to say next.  There is a reason that Jesus says in Matthew 11: 28-30, "Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.  Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls.  For my yoke is easy and my burden is light."  Now, there is much, much more to talk about, which I will not do here but I invite you to check out the blog area for further discussion and thoughts, the Tool Box area, or let's visit on group chat!  It's a long and wonderful journey, the point here is that we need to step out, take a breath, be courageous, and begin.