1.27.2013

because you have people. 

people who do for you and who are for you what you need to make life good. people who corral your kids and feed your kids and play with your kids and people who offer to help you and make you dinner and make you smile and make ongoing investments into your life. people who pray with and for you, who see things and say things and know things and care. and some of your people you're related to and some of your people you've grown to love like family and some of your people you love because they're part of a bigger thing, community, but they're all your people.

and the thing about having people is that it makes you want to be people for someone else, to carry their stuff to their car and play with their kids so they can finish a conversation and feed them dinner and send them cards telling them that you are thankful to have them as your people. being people to other people makes you want to move your path so that it starts blending in with their path and your space becomes our space and then it's less about you and more about them and you see that your journey matters to them and changes them just like their journey matters and changes you.

and when you have people of your own and you are others' people, then life seems full and good and miraculous.

and when it's not easy to have people because people are often difficult and people see things differently than you do then you know that having people isn't about smiles and friendly side-hugs and skipping through days but it is about doing days and sad dark nights, and smiling and crying, and singing and silence, and handshakes and tight embraces that don't let go even after it's awkward because one of you knows that having people means forging through the rough and overlooking the moods and holding tight to your people.

let love and faithfulness never leave you. bind them around your neck write them on the tablet of your heart