relationships

I wish I could take credit for the topics that I discuss in my blogs, but I certainly can't. Todays entry is a topic that has come to my mind through a discussion I had over breakfast this morning with two people I truly consider good friends. The conversation has left me with many thoughts, so I thought I'd share.
The conversation we had was about relationships, and as the conversation proceeded, I was reminded how "relational" of a person I am. I have always said that relationships with those around me are one of my most prized possessions. I have always enjoyed and treasured developing relationships with others. My relationships are probably one of the most satisfying "things" that I have - and although, in one sense, I could say they are free, they have probably cost me the most and become the most valuable possession I have.
When I say those things, one probably presumes that I mean relationships with friends, and that is truly one of the greatest types of relationships I have. I am a person that enjoys relationships that get deep and gritty. The deeper my friendships are, the more valuable they become. This may seem to be kind of an obvious statement, but there a ton of people who I don't believe think the same. I think that they are the type of people that are much more comfortable with surface relationships - the kind where no one gets dirty or truly honest. To me, although there is certainly a place for those, they don't hold nearly the value that my good, deep friendships hold.
With that in mind, it seems clearly obvious, though I guess I don't think of it as a "relationship" in the same sense of the word, comes the RELATIONSHIP (wow!) with my wife and my children. I often say that I love Julie more today than I did when we met and when we were married. It's so true. Although the romance was there on our wedding day, our love and understanding has grown and grown. We've seen the ugly side of things, and yet we still love each other. Our love grows becuase our understanding grows, and the understanding grows simply out of time and energy we've put into our marriage.
I see the same pattern developing with my children. Katherine, my four year old, is closer to me than Elizabeth, my 1 1/2 year old. But, I have truly seen how my relationship with Elizabeth has grown and deepened. As she gets older and is a part of my life for a longer and longer period of time, my love for her also has deepened. Both my growing love for Julie and for the girls is because we have spent more and more time together. The commitment to and with each of my children grows as time passes. It's funny as I think about the fact that we'll have a third child in February. Right now, the emotional attachement I have to that baby is minimal, and probably even by the time he or she is born, the emotional attachment will pale in comparison to that of the girls. But, as time goes on, and as we spend time with each other and become emotionally invested in each other, that relationship will grow.
The funny (well, maybe funny isn't the right word) part about all of this is that just as I don't see the "relationships" with my family in the same way as I see the "relationships" with friends, I really don't see my relationship with Christ in any way close. As was pointed out to me this morning, just as in my other relationships, for it all to mean something, time and energy must be invested. We don't just turn around, find a person on the street, and become emotionally invested with them. Why should we think it any different with Christ? Do we expect that we would desire to spend time with someone we don't know?
Where does this put me with my relationships with others, and with my relationship with Christ? It puts me in a position where I need to get to know Him. I can't just expect to pray to Christ and then, hopefully, somewhere down the line feel that I know Him.