Relationships

Tonight I went out to dinner with a guy I was friends with in high school. I used to consider him to be one of my best friends but I never thought about why we were friends, we just were. As we sat talking tonight I realized we know the basics about each other but nothing much deeper than that. So, I started asking him questions about himself that I have never thought to ask him. I found out that he wants to drive a truck for a portion of his life and he really enjoys manual labor. His dream job just happens to be a ranch manager. On my way home I asked myself, how well do I really know any of my friends? I am lucky to have friends all over the nation who I know inside and out and know about all my deepest fears and secrets. But, do I really know the people I spend most of my time with? Do any of us really? Do we see when someone is going through something? And when they simply say "I'm fine" do we just leave it at that or do we take the time to actually care? Do we take the time to see the people we claim to love? All too often we take for granted our relationships. We just assume our friends will always be there no matter what. But relationships take time and work, they don't just happen. If we don't start contributing our time and love to the people we care most about, we will loose them. The next time you ask someone how they are, don't just ask, listen. They may have something to say or they may actually care how your day is going. Take the time to care and take the time to love. 1 Corinthians 13 4-8