Buildings and Relationships

There is so much construction where I live. When we first moved into our home, there was a McDonald’s, that was still being built, and two gas stations. Now there are all types of businesses. There are several banks (because one is not enough), a Blockbuster, several restaurants, and super Wal-Mart to name a few. Most of these buildings went up in record speed, with the exception of Cousins Restaurant. In the time that Cousins is being built, a gigantic Lowe’s went up and still Cousins Restaurant is not finished. It’s pretty amazing how some things go up in no time and others take a very long time to be built. Cousins Restaurant is not as big as the Lowe’s (Lowe’s probably is five times the size of Cousins) yet it’s still not finished. You would think since it’s smaller it would not take as long.

This got me to thinking. I know, this can very dangerous thing for me, but I went ahead and did it anyway. Why do some things take more time than others? Is the quality of the materials of better quality? I swear that the owners of Cousins went to the forest and picked out the trees that were cut down to build it.

Craftsmanship is not something that can be rushed. Is it more important to do something quickly or do it well? Creativity is a process and you don’t win a prize because you finish first. It will be interesting to see the quality of the workmanship of Cousins Restaurant when all is said and done.

All things that are worth it take time. Relationships take time to build. They are not done overnight. Friendships are built one step at a time. Over time it grows deeper and trust is established. Just like a bomb can bring down a building in an instant, a friendship can come down with a misunderstanding. It’s really important to guard your friendships. Life can very lonely without friends to share in not only the good times but the bad. Treasure the relationships that God has placed in your path. Don’t take them for granted. Tell a friend that they matter to you. Appreciate those who are close to you. Loneliness happens to everyone and a friend’s kind words can lift you from whatever valley you find yourself in. To all those out there who are good friends, thank you for being you.

© Nadine Z. 2006