Relationships

I have been pondering relationships lately, both good and bad. We were talking about people transitioning in our small group tonight and it made me think about how relationships evolve. Currently, our small group is filled with a wide variety of people (ranging from us, in our 20s, to people in their 60s). Some are married, some have been divorced and remarried, some are single, some have kids, some don't, etc. That diversity has worked for us this last 18 months or so. Our hosts will be transitioning in the fall and it got me thinking on whether or not we would continue with this same group. It has been wonderful getting to know these people and everyone has been so supportive, almost like a second family. However, our lives too will soon be changing and it may be that God will lead us in another direction to pursue different kinds of relationships. We would be the only couple (that consistently comes) under 40, with children at home and I am not sure that would be the right fit for us at this point in time. We are also currently driving 25 miles each way once a week to meet with these people. Then, I started to think about relationships I currently have and would like to develop further. I thought about 2 other families, with young kids, that we have known for years. Initially, we all worked with Young Life together and now one couple is very busy with their young family and we have stepped back from leading, for the time being. Because of that, we often don't see these other couples (at least as often as we would like), with whom I am proud to be friends. And this got me thinking about the idea of small groups and relationships and maybe this is the time to pursue these relationships in a family setting. The women have gotten together or the guys have movie nights, but what about having family nights with dinner together as families? Is this a God idea or a me idea? I don't really know, but it is definitely one to consider...! After all, as life changes, so do relationships. Our childlessness has separated us from other people and now some of those relationships I would be more comfortable to pursue.