We need love

Last night, my law professor said something that confirmed my suspicions of his complete cynicism. He told us it's not a good idea to get too close to people. He told us that we needed to know how to make stars feel important and like us in order to be successful, but that we shouldn't get too emotionally involved with them. This is coming from a man who's had two failed marriages and brown noses to make friends. His advice goes against everything I believe to be true about relationships.

Sometimes I wonder if I'm just idealistic because I'm young. But, maybe I'm not. It's risky to love other people. They will disappoint you, use you, and leave you. I've been burned, forgotten, and disliked--I would be crazy to think I was the only one who's been treated like this. But, on the most basic level of my humanity, there's something inside of me that longs for intimacy with others. I am not ashamed to admit that I am not autonomous. Life has so much more vibrancy when you can experience it with others. I need fellowship.

Since I have been married, I have realized how much intimacy means to me. Matt is gone this week, and I feel like a part of my soul has left with him. I'll be fine by myself--I am not so dependent that I can't function without him. But, I really miss him!

I have always been the type of person that needed to be included in a group. God has been gracious enough to supply a fantastic group of people that have openly accepted me. This has been a rare, hard thing to find in my experience, but God is faithful to attend to my needs. I also find that it is so much easier to love other people when your friends are readily willing to love as well.

After describing the important of intimacy in my life, I want to relate it to my potential career. I don't believe you can run a nonprofit (or a ministry, for that matter) without some desire to love and become emotionally involved with people. It's easy for a callous lawyer to say that love should be avoided, but I cannot see how life will be successful and worthwhile without it.