Connected

There are several friends of mine, dear ones, I feel connected to.  The connection transcends having fun together, even though we do when we are.  The connection is more than having similar likes and views.  In some cases we are aligned yet in others we are as different as night and day, black and white.  The link centers on shared values and priorities, ways of understanding life, and a strong interest in experiencing everything life has to offer.  As I reflect I also find each relationship exists in a spirit of engaged compassion, genuine interest shaped by unconditional acceptance, and an ability to be candidly honest and genuine. 
 
I would like to think I value and nurture these connections but I know it isn’t always true.  While I find myself energized in fresh new ways when we are together, I do not always put in the time and effort to maintain the connection when we are apart.  It is as if I know something which reflects a statement Jesus made about his relationship with the Father God.  His words echo mine about the key friendships in my life, “I and the Father are one heart and mind.”  (John 10.30)
 
In the midst of the chaos life throws at us I have two reflections.  The individuals I am connected with have no idea how grateful I am for the way their relationship, along with the memories, thoughts, and reflections it triggers, sustains me.  It is far more than something additional to my daily routine.  Their support and connect rests at the heart of life itself, nurturing, sustaining, and guiding.  It is as if I can hear our conversations playing out in the currency of the moment.
 
It is in the center of these moments I realize I often miss the depth and breadth of my connection with Divinity.  It is as if I have casually abandoned the very center of what is most important.
 
Today I am holding on to every priceless gift.  To friends and Divinity, thanks from the center of who and what I am.