On this 41st day of the process of a Christian counting the omer; we will consider yesod of yesod; the bonding of our bonding.
In other words; how balanced and firmly established are our relationships with God and with others?
Relationships can take on many forms and they can achieve many different levels. If we have difficulty in our bonding these forms and levels become limited or not at all.
EXAMINING OUR BONDING
How can we learn to achieve the best levels of each of our interactions with people?
We can examine our bonding (or not-bonding) with others by asking several questions:
Am I too critical?
Do I expect too much of someone or something?
Am I uncomfortable around this person or this event? If so; why?
Have I been hurt in the past?
Has my trust been abused?
A GOOD EXAMPLE
Remember the woman at the well who couldn’t keep a husband? She had five husbands and was living with someone else when she met Jesus at the well.
Often when our human relationships are not working out very well, and we fail at allowing ourselves to be vulnerable it is because of past experiences where we were hurt or abused or abandoned.
How fortunate that this woman met Jesus!
THE GREATEST BONDING EXPERIENCE
He is the One who will never abandon her, never leave her, or never hurt her. With the foundation of the spiritual and higher relationship she will form with Jesus; this woman will gain the confidence that she needs to allow real love back into her life.
Her bonding faults were not in being too critical of others but allowing others to be so critical of her past that she was afraid to go to the well during the popular hours for drawing water.
She came at a time when she thought everyone else would not be there. Jesus chose this time to appear in her life. It is like He always has a sense of knowing when we feel abandoned by others; and He comes to comfort our souls and to bring us hope.
THE HEALING BOND
All bonding that is good begins with our first bonding with Jesus. He makes all things new.
Those old wounds from relationships that failed in the past will eventually be healed by His love. The blessing of hope will come to each new relationship for all of His followers.
Once we recognize the voice of God’s Holy Spirit speaking within our souls; we feel safe and secure enough to reach out to others. We feel a healthy need to share the amazing love that we have been given.
This aspect of our bonding with God is very healing and refreshing. Our bonding with others will not only improve from this solid foundation; but it will also begin to help our lives to make a contribution in making the world around us a better place to live.