Social distancing. Who ever thought this term would invade our society - the world!? - and make such demands? The only time I remember ever hearing that term was briefly in Sociology 101 and never hearing it again until a few weeks ago. Our present social distancing is challenging for God designed us to be in relationship - with Him and with one another.
Of course, we are thankful for technology - phones, Facetime, Skype, Zoom - whatever keeps us connected to family, friends and others. But, don't you miss the pleasures of being in the presence of other people ? Even the mindless opportunity to stand behind another customer in the grocery checkout lane is done with measuring and precaution.
Every good and life-giving relationship should be two people who are connected, but separate. In our most significant relationships, there is a pattern or a dance. This dance is made up of identifiable behaviors that cause relationships to struggle or to thrive. Friends, we must identify our dance – the patterned ways one relates to others – and understand how it impacts ALL our relationships. There really is an essential step for maintaining or moving beyond boundaries with other human beings. The dance steps are important to every person on the planet. Dancing alone or with others means to thrive, connect, be responsibile and to be free.
A few years ago there was a hit song by Lee Ann Womack. The lyrics of this song was the theme of the graduation message for one of our sons. The words, whether spoken, read or put to music profoundly spoke to me then and continues to speak to me even more today: I Hope You Dance.
The dance is beginning. It is a slow dance - calculated and in cautious phases. We will never take the dance for granted again, will we? We were made to dance!
Mindfully, value relationships.
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