Relationships - A mess worth making?

I love this excerpt from the book ´Relationships - A mess worth making´:

The problem with relationships is that they all take place right smack dab in the middle of something, and that something is the story of redemption, God's plan to turn
everything in our lives into instruments of Christlike change and growth. You and I never get to be married to a fully sanctified spouse. We will never be in a relationship with a completely mature friend. We will never live next to a neighbor utterly free of the need to grow and change. We will never have self-parenting children. We will never be near people who always think, desire, say, or do the right things. And the reason for all of this is that our
relationships are lived between the already (Christ's finished work on the cross as full atonement for our sins) and the not yet (His return in glory).

Here's the point. The hardship of relationships is not just that they can be difficult. The hardship includes what God calls us to be and do in the middle of the difficulty. God
calls each of us to be humble, patient, kind, persevering, and forgiving. God calls us to speak with grace and to act with love, even when the relationship lacks grace and we have not been treated with love. Because of this your
relationships will take you beyond the boundaries of your normal strength. They will take you beyond the range of your natural abilities and beyond the borders of your natural and acquired wisdom. Relationships will push you beyond the limits of your ability to love, serve, and forgive. They will push you beyond you. At times they will beat at the borders of your faith. At times they will
exhaust you. In certain situations, your relationships will leave you disappointed and discouraged. They will require what you do not seem to have, but that is exactly as God intended it. That is precisely why he placed these demanding relationships in the middle of the process of sanctification, where God progressively molds us into the likeness of Jesus. When you begin to give up on yourself, you begin to rely on him. When you are willing to abandon your own little dreams, you begin to get excited about his plan. When your way has blown up in your face again, you are ready to see the wisdom of God's way.

I absolutely agree with the authors. I think relationships in this fallen world is a hard-work. And even when you have worked hard at it, you´ll still experience dissapointments. But I also agree with the authors that despite the mess and the dissapointments, it is still worth it! It´s worth it because God is using our imperfect relationships to mould us into the likeness of His Son. And not to mention God´s good gift of the joy, love, and good moments in relationships. Relationship really is a mess worth making!

One of the things that I love about Mexican culture is the close ties of the family relationships. During the conference at Aguas, I had a chance to spend time with the Cisneros family. The family consists of Snr and Sra Cisneros, Adiel (the youth pastor), Lluvia (the wife of Justin, the missio from US), Jonathan (he didn’t come to the conference), Daniel, and Brisa. Also living with the Cisneros are Axel (the nephew), Abuelita (Sp for grandma), and Tio (Sp for uncle). I love the Cisneros. Their love for one another that is very obvious. I love their generosity and hospitality towards visiting missionaries (they usually invited the missios to stay in their house). Snr Cisneros (se llama Gerardo) is a very kind and Godly father, who loves to listen to audio Bible on his MP3 wherever he goes. Sra Cisneros is a very warm person, who loves to give me a hug. I feel really loved and welcomed around them. And being with them makes me feel like being part of their family.

But as I get to know people more, undoubtedly, we will frustrate each other with our imperfections. The exciting & interesting quirks will become annoyances. We start showing our true selves. We become less patience with each other. That is always the case with any relationships. It is the time when God calls us to continue to love one another (1 Peter 1:22, Romans 13:8, Jn 13:34, etc), to bear with one another (Eph 4:2), and to forgive one another (Col 3:13). It is the time when God is using the relationship with its frictions, struggles, and frustrations to mould us. So yes, even at times like this when relationships are frustrating, they are still worth it!