relational energy well spent

Ever since we moved here I've been setting up 3-4 play dates a week in an effort to meet new people, make new friends, and maintain my sanity by getting out of the house with the kiddos. I've mentioned numerous times how wonderful it's been getting to know people and they continue to impress :) Here's a scenario I come across fairly regularly and have recently felt convicted of and have comes to terms with.

I'm chatting with someone. Im really enjoying their company. I'm thinking, "Yeah! This person could really be my friend!" Then, she casually mentions that she's moving to (insert city) to plant a church in (insert months) and my fantasy friendship comes screeching to a halt. I instinctively cross her name off of the potential friend list in my mind because, lets be honest, it's not really worth the effort if she's going to be gone in six months, right?? But, then I started thinking - when is it worth it? I suddenly felt like such a consumer.

Now, we do have to be wise in the way we spend our time. And we should seek out friends that point us toward Christ and fill our cup so to speak. Our church is big and I could spend every day of the week with a different person and end up with relationships a mile wide and an inch deep that would be of no benefit to the kingdom. That's not what I'm supporting. I'm just saying that we shouldn't just write off relationships because people aren't in our 10 year plan and because they appear to offer no immediate benefit to us and it might hurt when they move. We should leave room for the Lord to work. He has placed so many surprising people in my life that I learned amazing things from that I never saw coming. And I'm sure that he used me to teach others in similar ways.

Many people that we meet here came to attend seminary with hopes to move on and and plant a church or work at a church in the future. It's part of their journey. The difference for them and for me when I was in our last city is that they know that they probably won't be staying here permanently. When we planted our church, we thought we'd be there forever. I'm glad that I didn't know that it wasn't permanent. I think that it would have inhibited me from fully giving myself to people. Our time there wasn't just a pit stop on our way here. It was part of our journey that the Lord sovereignly orchestrated. I shudder to think of all of the amazing relationships that I would have missed out on, all the lessons I wouldn't have learned, the conversations I wouldn't have had, if I had known I was moving and decided not to invest the relational capital. I imagine that the seminary lifestyle could be a lonely one where people live detached lives because they know that this is only a season. I pray that it's not and I know that I, personally, will not use that excuse not to get to know you in the future.