Relationships matter. Just like fitness and nutrition. Relationships are essential to the life we live. I know that we all handle relationships in different ways and have our own ways of handling conflict. Creating healthy relationships takes work. Just like trying to get to that goal weight takes time and sacrifice, so do relationships. Vulnerability is costly but it is the currency of healthy relationships. We all are in need of healthy relationships. I used to think that God would just make healthy relationships happen around me and I would just jump into them. As much as I see His hand causing me to meet people and build relationships, it took going through some rough relationships to realize that there comes a cost to having healthy ones. Without a cost, there would be no investment. You have to invest into making relationships healthy. It takes risk to show our full selves to other people. We can become bombarded with the question “what if?” Yet when you throw yourself out there and the response is healthy and out of Godly love, the reward is inexplicably joyful. There is a joy that comes when you know you can be you unashamedly and still be loved. There is something about healthy relationships that carry aspects of God’s heart towards His people. The Word states that we are no longer slaves, but we are friends of God. To have healthy relationships full of unconditional love and abounding grace is to go against the ways of this world and shine as He does!