Connections

So, it's strange to me how many things in life are connected.
Yesterday in class we discussed how people define themselves through relationships. This is the precise point that I was inarticulately trying to make in my most recent blog.
A large part of myself is defined by my relationships with close friends and family. When I'm not around them, I forget certain aspects of myself. Maybe it sounds lame, but it makes perfect sense to me.

Well, because I'm an obnoxious over-thinker, I have been analyzing who I really am and the weight these relationships play. Should I always be one thing or another, despite relationships, etc...???
Initial Conclusion: Who cares?!

Then............. I had an epiphany that who I truly am is defined by one primary relationship.
I am me because of my relationship with Christ. It is so obvious and yet I had never thought about it this way.

Years ago I was an almost completely different person. The relationships I have with my friends and family in Alabama help me stay grounded because they remember and remind me of what they witnessed when God was transforming my heart. Their looks and words reflect a profound time of change in my life; the struggles, joys, and resolutions.

Everything is connected; some strong connections and some weak, but all with a perfect purpose. I am thankful.