by Jeanni Ritchie
We are connected. Like an intricate spiderweb, our lives intertwine in such a way that can only be crafted by the Master. It is the invisible thread that binds us together.
When Facebook first became popular, I found it strange to see friends from one area of my life commenting on the posts of friends from another. How do they know each other, I’d think. I knew Jane from Girl Scouts and Julie from college but there they were, sharing memories that had nothing to do with me.
It was the perfect reminder that we are not the nucleus of the world. We do get to take the center square in our own lives but you can also get Tic Tac Toe without even drawing a line through the center.
Jesus is the Sun that we all revolve around.
And we all have similarities in our lives.
Utilizing rideshares during my trip to New Orleans, I bonded with many drivers over shared experiences. There was the mom navigating hot and cold relationships with her grown kids. Been there, done that! Adult children can be the most infuriating and rewarding relationships you’ll ever have.
There was the man feeling trapped in his marriage but determined to stick it out so the kids didn’t grow up in a broken home. The grandmother driving on her only day off because she’d unexpectedly gained custody of her grandson. The mom who was fighting the school board…
I knew the scenes. I’d felt the pain. I’d questioned the same situations in my own life or in the lives of someone I knew.
We are all connected.
We need to reject this head-down mentality of life and start seeing the people around us. Drop the surface conversations and be real with each other.
Alone we can do so little, together we can do so much- Helen Keller
Jeanni Ritchie is a contributing journalist from Central Louisiana. Read more of her faith essays at www.faithunfaded.com.