February 11, 2009- Yesterday, while in staff meeting I struggled with unpacking a thought. Sounds crazy I know but the thought wasn't mine. It came from "The Shack". So I went back and read the section again. Now I want to share this thought. I'm getting married Saturday. Many people are married or in relationships right now and things have changed over time. It doesn't feel the way it used to. I think this portion of literature has altered my view of relationships. Here it is. We have a friendship, when it starts, there is an expectancy that exists in our friendship. When we see each other or are apart, there is an expectancy of being together, of laughing and talking. That expectancy has no concrete definition; it is alive and dynamic and everything that emerges from our being together is a unique gift shared by no one else. But what happens if I change that 'expectancy' to an 'expectation'- spoken or unspoken? Suddenly law enters into that relationship. You are now expected to perform in a way that meets my expectations. That living relationship rapidly deteriorates into a dead thing with rules and requirements. It is no longer about you and me, but about what friends are supposed to do, or the responsibility of a good friend. So one of the things nessesary to keep a relationship alive is to keep the expectancy active. Just a thought.
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