Transparent Christian Magazine

Surrounded by the hustle and bustle of students back in school, I’m seeing faces new and old. Some coming back to college and some leaving home for the first time; off to revel in the “college experience.” Some might say we are here for higher education, I might chime in and say, “killing time so we don’t have to get a real job,” and those close to me might say, “to find out who I am.”

There’s a cycle I experience every fall that accompanies my returning friends. I start running and working out after a summer of less than strenuous activities. I start writing more, both articles and songs. I start playing more music. But there is one telltale sign that welcomes fall into my life. You’d think it would be the weather, the football games or the exponential increase in my debits for coffee. Nope.

My phone.

It’s like a Where’s Waldo when fall hits. Area codes I didn’t know existed start pouring into my phone from friends across the country changing phones, or numbers I’ve lost. The sheer excitement of seeing numbers I haven’t seen since May is physically exhausting, let alone catching up on months of life experiences.

I suppose you’re wondering where I’m going with this? “Where’s the moral here Josh? What will I take home with me for the rest of the day? What will I use to start my conversation over dinner or coffee?” Those are the things I imagine readers may think or use my words for…

My moral here is simple.

Conversation.

Conversation?

Yes. Conversation, the informal exchange of ideas by spoken words.

When Izzy (my iPhone) wreaks havoc on my jean pockets, I know it’s time for coffee, pizza, concerts, Bible studies, worship nights, and late nights. All of these “time and relationship” oriented events.

Before I can really give you your dinner topic for tonight, let’s first get on the same page. I write based on experience, and you happen to be reading those experiences and observations. You also happened to come to a Christian magazine to find these words. You may or may not be a Christian. Let’s agree on something else. Regardless of your religious beliefs, neither one of us can deny that Jesus was a real, living, breathing man. Agreed? Great.

In my understanding of the life of Jesus, whether you believe He is the Son of God or not, it was surrendered to the beautiful art of relationships. Agreed? Great.

Ok, now that we are on the same page… it’s story time.

I have a very close friend I met last fall. She was a freshman at Belmont and came here to Nashville to study Music Business. We were both camp counselors, love to sing, listen to the same music, and have hearts for God. Naturally, she became ‘little sister’, and I became ‘big brother’. Through the course of a year filled with late nights talking about dreams we’re chasing, mistakes we’ve made and learned from, and how God is working in our lives, she has become one of my dearest friends. The tears we have cried from laughing so hard could fill a small pond and if we could bottle the joy we create, I’m sure we’d make millions.

I’m going to do my best to describe to you the physical and spiritual change in me before and after spending time with her. There are days when the stress of life can weigh heavy on me, and intentionally or not, I carry that with me wherever I go in the bags under my eyes. Through the therapy of laughter and unfiltered honesty, that real-life, tangible weight is lifted. Call me crazy, but I think this is exactly what Jesus was trying to teach when He lived His life for others.

That being said, I think it’s easy to take for granted the availability of conversation and spending time with someone. I encourage you to see your friendships from a different perspective. Start observing how God is using them in your life and how they are being used in yours. It’s incredible to see Jesus through your friends. Although we cannot physically see and hug God, Jesus or the Holy Spirit, I feel as though when God said that He is everywhere, He was talking a lot about being in each one of us.

So tonight when you sit down for dinner or coffee, think of Jesus being alive and real in you and your friends. Although He isn’t physically here, I feel that the love in each of us is proof enough for me.

With love,
J