No Man is an Island

"No man is an island." 

I have absolutely no idea who coined this phrase that is bursting with truth. I am sure it is someone important, and someone who I should know if I am even remotely scholastic or intelligent. I however, remember hearing this phrase quoted by Hugh Grant's character, at the end of the brilliant British film, "About a Boy." 

No matter what the origin, this short phrase is full of deep (even divine) truth. I am not sure I am becoming prematurely and overly sentimental in light of my upcoming move, but I have been thinking about this truth a lot in the last couple of weeks. The reality that our lives are intrinsically interconnected and interrelated to one another! Whether we intend them to or not, our lives have an effect on the lives of those around us.

The Lord has really reminded me of this these past few weeks, as brought back into my life even for just a moment people who he has really used to shape me all along the way. People, who, as they just went about their lives, had a profound effect on mine: 

A dear friend who when she was a senior in high school took an interest in me, a dorky little freshman, and made me feel loved and special. 

My 8th grade Bible teacher who, even through a simple question, opened my eyes to the holiness of God, the depth of sin, and the incredible beauties of grace!

My camp counselor, who I can now call a friend, who showed me that it really could be fun to be a Christian. 

My first boss at PCPC, who was (and is) always honest and authentic before me, and demanded that I be that way before him and others.

And "my girls" who I met when they were going to be in 8th grade and were too crazy to take out to dinner in fear that they would leave a 5 foot radius of rice around the table, who now have become dear friends with whom one walk around a lake is incredible refreshing.

Seeing these friends in these past two weeks, has reminded me of the great blessing it is that God has created us for relationships. What a blessing that we are not "islands", we were not designed for individuality and independence but to know and need one another, and ultimately to know and need him, and that our lives effect one another. 

I am greatly blessed and have been profoundly shaped by all of you whom God has brought into my life along the years. I am deeply thankful that he has called me into community with you. 

With this comes one other thing for which I am profoundly thankful. Our lives don't effect others only when we want them to. Even the parts of us which we hate and so desperately try to hide, rub off on others and effect them too. So, I am thankful that God by his grace, uses us in spite of us....that in spite of our selfishness and sin, we are used for the good of another. And I am thankful that when that sin has caused me to effect someone in a negative way, that God is the redeemer of even that. 

His grace is always bigger than our sin! Allelluia!!