Create Lasting Bonds with Others
A leadership exercise I’ve used with groups involves having people stand in a circle. Then I have one person hold on to the end of a ball of yarn before throwing that ball to someone across the circle. That person then holds on to the yarn before throwing the yarn ball to someone else across the circle. Eventually, the yarn connects and weaves people together. And if one person tugs on that web, everyone else feels the tug. It’s a great illustration of how our interactions weave us together. None of us is solely an individual. Instead, we’re all part of a group, a relational system.
Now imagine two people standing apart. The first person holds the end of the yarn, then throws the ball of yarn across to the other person. Then that person holds the yarn before throwing it back again. And as the yarn gets thrown back and forth, the connection between those two persons becomes thicker and stronger.
In the book, Joyful Journey, the authors use this to talk about our relationship with God:
When we appreciate Him we throw the yarn and when we cry out to God for help we do the same. As He responds tenderly and graciously He throws back the yarn, and the connection is strengthened. God frequently initiates these interactions with us. He beckons and waits for us to throw the yarn back to Him. Moreover, when we are frail and cannot throw the yarn, His Spirit helps us. He never gives up on us and will work on our behalf until the end (Joyful Journey, pp. 12-13).
Could this dynamic not only inform how we create and strengthen lasting bonds not only with God—but with family members, friends, and even those at work?
Sometimes you and I are the ones initiating these connections. We invite someone out for a cup of coffee, or ask them to join us for a walk or a sporting event. Or if the other person initiates or offers a word of affirmation, we notice and appreciate them for that—then respond in kind. And as we interact in this way, the yarn ball gets thrown back and forth, these relationships and connections become thicker and stronger.
This week take time to notice how God initiates with you. And as you respond to his promptings, mirror that dynamic with someone else—initiating and responding to them with grace and kindness.