"I'm so glad I know you!"

Today was one of those days where I was able to reflect on how there are so many people in my life whom I can say, "I'm so glad I know you!" 

In the midst of the hustle and bustle of life, I feel like I have forgotten all about what life is really about: relationality. This is something that cries out to me out of my experiences and what I learned about people while I was in Tanzania and Kenya over 4 years ago. 


There is a saying: "Americans have watches, but they don't have time. Africans don't have watches, but they have all of the time in the world." Ain't it the truth? I have been so busy with life (and so incredibly unhappy) that I have hardly any time to be. The emotional exhaustion has given way to not making time to just be with other people. 


Today has reminded me that life is too short to race through life not stopping to notice people. What is the eternal significance of such apathy?

C.S. Lewis said, "It is immortals whom we joke with, work with, marry, snub and exploit." That's a powerful thought. How much of the time am I concerned with things that are so temporal? So lost in the moment that I can't see the forest through the trees? How many times am I just as guilty as the Levite or the priest who walked by the beaten man on the road rather than taking the time to stop and help like the Samaritan? 


How many people could honestly say to me, "I'm so glad I know you!"? If I'm truly honest with myself, I'm not sure that very many people could say that my light has shone very brightly lately. Over the past year or so, I have been in a serious funk. Although my light was not completely extinguished, there were times when it glowed very dimly. Now, I feel like my life is getting to a point where I feel that flame growing inside of me. 


I can't help but think of the classic children's song that goes like this:


"This little light of mine,
I'm going to let it shine.
This little light of mine,
I'm going to let it shine.
This little light of mine,
I'm going to let it shine. 
Let it shine, let it shine. Let is shine!"


I want to make it clear that I haven't made it to such a place in my life now merely on my own strength. Rather, many of the people in my life have helped to rekindle the growing flame within my soul. Because of their patience and continually love, I am inexpressibly grateful and I can honestly say, "I'm so glad I know you!"