Relationships are wonderful and hard

I have a relationship with a tree!

Every time I look at this tree it speaks to me.

It says "You hate me don't you? You sneer at me every morning and you moan and groan about having to take me outside and water me." ..............Yeah, what I call a tree is actually a large plant!

Please don't think I have gone psychotic and hear voices but the 'tree' speaks to me in the voice of my wife!

I have many relationships with lots of things. My car.............. er sorry wife and daughter our car!! My mobile phone, my computer, my bed, my guitar...........ask my wife about that one!

Relationships, in reality, have to be two way and that is where the problems start.
Thankfully if I ignored the 'tree' in our living room it wouldn't cry or get angry with me, unlike those with whom I have a real relationship.

I believe that we were created to be in relationship.

Because of the type of work I do I have to read alot of self help books and study more than a few self help techniques. Everyone of them, without exception, at some point, explain that we need to be in relationship to grow as a human.

It's amazing how many of them also acknowledge the need to have a relationship with someone or something beyond our human understanding. Now that excites me!

Even a relationship with an animal is seen as therapeutic. That unconditional love and undying commitment, fulfills some of our deepest needs.

Jesus needed relationship.

From the creation of the world there was the Triune God. The Community of the Father, Son and Holy Spirit.

God was placed in a family. Mary and Joseph, mother and father and then after, brothers.

Jesus sought out relationship with 12 other men and also a few women. Not all who were close friends. Not all who were faithful but all who Jesus spent time with.

To be like Jesus, the highest calling of our life, we must face the challenge of relationships. This means taking risks to love, when it feels like the last thing we want to do.

I believe that broken relationships break the heart of God.......and I speak as one who has gone through divorce.......... for relationship is what He created us for.

Because God loves us He seeks a relationship with us. From the day we were born...........and before!................He has sought to draw us close to Him.

It seems to me that alot of what divides the church is about relationship.

The clear division in healing, for example, seems to be about the emphasis on who has responsibility in the relationship.

For some it's all about letting God do what He wants to do. Playing His part in the relationship. He'll heal or He won't. He'll help us in our suffering or help us escape. We don't have to do much, just let God be God................. cos He is in control.

For others it's all about our faith. Our responsibility in the relationship is to exercise faith. To be active not passive. To make our step of faith. To 'walk out' our healing or in other words, we believe we are healed even though we do not see a physical sign. "Do something you couldn't do before" is the call. It becomes all about my part in this relationship with God.

For some reason these two views seem to be exclusive and find it difficult to relate to each other!!

I wonder if we looked through the lens of relationship were at times to show my love, my commitment in the relationship, I have to give of my self and the other person receives and for the other person to show their commitment to me they have to give me something whether it's time or gifts or conversation, that we can get some perspective.

A relationship is two way. Unlike my relationship with that rather large plant!

Surely, we do what we can...................exercise our faith and God does what He does......................poures His love out on us, however that is expressed.


There is an irony in the fact that what God meant to bring restoration and a blessing is in itself bringing division.

I can only see the enemy at work here.

I think that over 2000 years, the followers of the One who brought absolute restoration between man and God have still alot to learn about just how God and those He loves relate.