Posted on May 26, 2024 Posted By: HCCCategories: journey
Heartland Community Church
THE JOURNEY
Investing In Relationships
by Sarah Hahs
I love relationships! I love talking about relationships, I love sitting for hours talking, you tell me there is coffee and conversation somewhere I’m there! And not just any relationships, but healthy ones that build one another up. Intentional connection with my people is life-changing. I love the story of Ruth and Naomi. Ruth’s devotion to Naomi changes her trajectory, as these two women cling together through tragedy and hardship. Their relationship is a great example of working together, strengthening, and serving each other faithfully.
I’ve been in valleys, literally and proverbially, and have had women there in it with me. There is something about a trail, whether in the mountains or our neighborhoods. We walk alongside someone and process out loud the day, the relationship, the diagnosis, or whatever the hard thing we are facing. ROAM, our women’s adventure group, started that way. Just a couple of women who were already walking the trails together and thought there might be other women who needed a good hike and a long talk as well.
It does require putting yourself out there. There is a certain amount of trust and faith to show up somewhere without knowing anyone. But there is also hope that you will find your people. It may not happen on the first hike, or bible study table, or volunteer position, that’s why it’s important to keep trying. I found my people, but it took me several attempts, and, in the meantime, I served on the tech team for Sunday services, at a women’s event, and in children’s ministry, lots of attempts.
Serving on the tech team gave me a much-needed sense of belonging here at Heartland. I needed to belong before I found a relationship, and belonging gave me a reason to keep showing up and keep trying.
While serving alongside each other, you get the opportunity to share your life with one another. You need to be willing to share a little of yourself, talk about the hard things, and be vulnerable with one another. I found amazing support from my fellow volunteers when I needed it.
There’s a through line with these actions. They all happen simultaneously, but I served, which gave me belonging, which grew my relationships, which helped me meet my people, which led me to being a part of a community that has deep roots and can help me walk through a valley of life and cheer with me when I’m on the mountaintop. It takes time and perseverance, but I promise you it’s possible.
What could your first, twentieth, or two-hundredth steps look like? Maybe it’s going on a hike, filling out the Volunteer form, or just looking at one of your current relationships and inviting someone to talk about the hard things.
Relationships are consistent work and are made better when both parties can stop and say, I know we started one way, but let’s change the plan. Naomi was brave enough to put her needs last and allow Ruth and her sister-in-law the freedom to leave. In your relationships, what would it look like to stop and ask if the plan needs to change?
Naomi is trying to convince Ruth and Oprah to leave in this passage. Have you ever tried to push someone away to protect them? How can you move toward a deeper relationship with someone by allowing them to sit with you in your hard times?
Ruth stays with Naomi despite her best efforts to send her away. Have you ever had a hard relationship where you decided to look into that person’s eyes and say, “Wherever you go, I go…”? Do you have Ruth in your life, or have you been a Ruth to someone else?
Naomi has Ruth but is still filled with bitterness, so she changes her name. She needs a person who sticks with her and reminds her of who she is. Do you have those people? If not, what steps could you take to strengthen that kind of relationship with one person?
Sometimes, we find ourselves in hard relationships or shifting relationships as life gets hard. If you find yourself in a hard place or a hard relationship, consider: Could that relationship be responsible for sharpening you? Could it be making you a better version of yourself?
{extra journey resources}
CLICK HERE to visit The Bible Project site and explore their super simple, super informative Bible videos (and other resources). You can also download The Bible Project App HERE.
CLICK HERE to get the Read Scripture App, from our friends at The Bible Project.
CLICK HERE for more on how to use the observe-reflect-apply approach to getting the most out of your Bible reading.
The Bible App Get the free YouVersion Bible for your phone, tablet, or computer. Experience the Bible anywhere, with options to highlight, save notes, and share what you are reading with others.
The Bible App For Kids YouVersion partnered with OneHope to develop the Bible App for Kids, designing it specifically to engage children with Bible stories on an age-appropriate level. The Bible App for Kids is a free app for Android, Apple, and Kindle devices, available in over 60 languages.
Bible Gateway Provides advanced Bible searching capabilities, which allow readers to find passages in scripture based on keywords, phrases, or scripture reference.
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