So, I just got back from a trip to Disney World. While I enjoyed riding rollercoasters and working on a Chaco tan, my favorite part of the trip was spending time with friends in a magical place. I think Disney is the only place where the jungle, frontier, and future are a 5 minute walk from each other. I became so immersed in a wonderful place that I almost forgot that nothing was real. From the castle, to the various countries, everything was placed at a specific spot to make up a larger world. Now I know that doesn’t surprise anyone, but it still felt weird to walk in a city that no one lives in, a ghost town.
Somehow I couldn’t get over the fact all of the buildings were fronts to a deeper world. That I never walked deeper, I just stayed on the surface. I realized that my visit to Disney is no different than normal life because I’m constantly living my at the surface level.
Disney is famous for having a labyrinth of tunnels beneath their parks, and I had the opportunity to glimpse a small part of this backstage world. While I didn’t get to go into any tunnels, I still saw the backstage intricacies that make magic possible. To experience going deeper was refreshing and exciting all at once. Going deeper provided me with a purpose.
I’m easily frustrated with the lack of depth in my life. I can count on one hand the relationships I have where I can be completely vulnerable, and they’re extremely valuable to me. I trust them to give me wise counsel, keep me accountable, and I treasure the time I spend with these people.
So what does this say about my relationship with those other people?
I feel like those other more distant relationships are comparable to a fake rock in a theme park. Behind the facade is a magical place, where the true person lives. With social media being so prevalent I’m forced to choose to emphasize the quality or the quantity of relationships. It seems like having 100 surface level “friends” is better than have 1 deep relationship. So how do I develop relationships where there is unspoken trust, and undoubted trust?
It starts with me. It’s terribly easy to say going deeper starts with me, but it’s difficult to put into action. I have to be open and real. That’s something I’m trying to do in this blog. I’m striving to be vulnerable with what I write, completely honest about what my life looks like. To be completely open is a struggle for someone like me who is used to taking issues and internalizing them.
Being vulnerable doesn’t stop when I stop writing. I never want to answer “good” when someone asks me how my day was, but I’m constantly stuck in that mindset. I think I lie more when I answer that question than any other time. All because I refuse to be open and honest.
Going deeper also requires common interests. My closest friends were either in ensembles with me, on teams together, or worked together. Each of these places have a unifying interest that brings people together. But those few relationships where I can be completely vulnerable all have one thing in common, Christ. Having unity in our Savior is a bond deeper than any team.
When a relationship is being pushed deeper into the truth of the gospel together it can’t possibly be shallow. A relationship in Christ is more magical than any theme park, and is more valuable than 1,000 followers on Twitter.
All of this sounds great on paper. I mean, what part of having complete trust in relationships and being united in Christ doesn’t sound great? But, a relationship is never one way. Its multiple people working together. So, as I work to be more intentional with relationships would you do the same? I have so many surface level relationships just in one class period at school, and over the course of a week I see so many people I never even say a word to. So, I encourage you to make each interaction count, don’t be afraid to go deep, and always keep Christ at the center.
Blessings,
David
P.S. I’m selling shirts to help fundraise for my trip. Please contact me if you’d like one!
