Have you ever found yourself waiting in front of one of those automatic doors like the ones at the grocery store that have a sensor that opens the door when it senses someone is there? Or maybe you’ve pressed the handicap access button to keep from having to open the door yourself. I saw a lady at the post office do that the other day. She pressed the button and stood in front of the door waiting for it to open but nothing happened. She pressed the button again, still nothing. She then grabbed the door and flung it open in disgust and walked in.
The conveniences of technology simply life but there are some things we shouldn’t try to simplify and deserve our best efforts, no shortcuts. Relationships deserve our best effort. There are no shortcuts to good relationships with others. A phone call is a good and sometimes necessary way to communicate but if you really want someone to know you care, meeting them over dinner is much more effective. Sending an email is a handy way to get a message to someone but a letter in your own handwriting says more about the importance of your message and the value of your relationship with that person. Turning off the radio while your traveling with your family is a great opportunity to talk.
Spend some necessary time this week cultivating that relationship with an important person in your life. They deserve your best effort because when it comes to relationships there really are no shortcuts.