Relational poverty

In our travels to Belize, we have read and discussed how everyone struggles with poverty of one form or another because all poverty goes back to relationships: either with God, self, others, or the environment. I have been seeking for God to transform me on this trip and I have realized areas of my life where I have struggled in relational poverty.

Back home there is a lady known as AD that since freshmen year has gotten under my skin and I've always wanted to correct her even though I just walk away infuriated and she does not seemed borrowed by it. She recently has gotten closer to two of my close friends and that has led me to at times resent them for hanging with her. It was on this trip that I realized how messed up it is for me to resent anyone. That is how I have suffered this relational poverty; I have tried to correct them, felt bad, and apologized so many countless times and often my apology has turned into a lecture. That is not Gods will.

I have realized to get out of this poverty i can only do it with Christ's help and then with perseverance of forgiving and loving them daily. It has to be a constant action and not just something I talk to them about or think to myself: it has to be be an action as Bob Goff so rightly points out Love Does.

So my goal is to daily choose to cross the bridge instead of burning it by simply forgiving. By crossing that bridge my goal is to break this cycle of relational poverty by starting with fixing myself and that I can only do through Christ.

Peace