Our Most Precious Commodity...

We shouldn't be surprised, all things considered, to find ourselves and our society in the mess we're in... We have lost perspective, as a people, as to what is really important. We have lost perspective as to how to achieve satisfaction, how to find fulfillment...
We have become an impatient people- lives filled with fast food, drive throughs, microwave meals, instant coffee, direct deposits, speed dating, radar detectors, road rage... We have learned not to appreciate things that take time, for time is a commodity we seem to have lost. All of our "fast food" mentality should give us more time but we seem to be busier than ever. Why?
Our pursuit is for more "things"... We seek success, we seek toys: cars, boats, big screem TVs, bigger homes, second homes, cruises, vacations, more, more, more... We seek to find satisfaction in things, but the feeling is fleeting, for things cannot fill that hole in our heart that causes us longing... There is something that fulfills us though, and that something is relationships. It is people, not things. Relationships fill our deeepest needs, our most intense and personal longings- it fills our need and desire to be loved and accepted. It gives us fellowship and community, for man was not created solitary, but is a social creature.
We often fail in our relationships, even in the pursuit if them, because, contrary to our lifestyle, relationships take time. They need to be nurtured, cared for. With a little work and a little time they grow more and more fulfilling. They allow us the experience of emotions that "things" can neve trigger. Things are only things and can be easily attained or replaced. People are a priceless commodity- each unique, each precious in their own way. Each of us is irreplaceable.
If we must choose to protect our most precious thing let that thing be our relationships. Take time to grow yours today. The fruits they produce- laughter, grace, patience, forgiveness, joy, satisfaction to name a few- so outweigh the cost of your time investment.