“But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another…” (1 John 1:7)

People are social creatures, and even the most introverted among us craves human companionship from time to time. We need to connect with each other. We need support and encouragement and love.

The older I get, the more I learn about connecting with others. While some connections are superficial and always will be (for example, a relationship with my doctor), other relationships should develop more deeply over time. Those relationships won’t grow unless I pay attention to them and devote my time to them.

Over the summer, I’ve had one such relationship grow into a deeper friendship. In the evenings, I walk with a friend who lives nearby. I’ve noticed a few things that have happened as a result of the time we’ve spent together.

1. Deeper connections. Dedicating a set amount of time to spend with someone several times a week has given us the opportunity to grow closer. While we knew each other before and saw each other at the same small group meeting once a week, we weren’t really involved in each other’s lives. Now, we stay in touch during the week, checking in with each other on days we don’t walk and sharing prayer requests and good news as it happens. We support each other’s activities, encourage each other when we’re down, and build up each other’s faith.
2. Improvement in physical health. Earlier this year, I had a series of health problems that left me exhausted both mentally and physically. It didn’t take much to wear me out, and it seemed I could never quite get enough rest. I’ve always been a proponent of regular exercise, and I especially love walking my Yorkie, Lilly, something I’ve continued to do this summer even as I carve out additional time to walk with my friend. A benefit to my regular walking schedule has been a marked improvement in my physical health. I’ve regained my strength and stamina, and I’ve even noticed a decline in the number of migraines I’ve had.
3. A longing for more. The more time I spend with my friend, the more I realize that I have numerous opportunities to connect with others, too. My eyes are opened to the ways in which I could be connecting and where I could reach out, but I’m not. I connect with a few friends mostly through text messages. We seldom see each other outside of small group activities, but we make an effort to connect a few times a week, sharing the ordinary things of life. It’s through these ordinary things that we find ways in which we are similar and discover ways we can support each other.

Making connections isn’t easy, and deepening relationships takes time and effort. We can look to Jesus to provide an example of how to form close relationships and “do life” with others. Jesus surrounded himself with a group of twelve disciples, and out of that group, he was even closer with just three men: Peter, James, and John (Mark 3:14). And even closer still was John, “the disciple whom Jesus loved” (John 13:23). Through his example, we can learn to be supportive, encouraging, and loving, and to build up the faith of other believers.

Dear Jesus, thank you for the people in my life you have sent to build me up, encourage me, and support me. Help me to do the same for others, deepening the connections I already have and reaching out to form new ones. Amen.