Brethren, let each one remain with God in that state in which he was called.

1 Corinthians 7:24 NKJV

A giant, a man, and a dwarf were friends. They had been friends for a while and did many things together. Soon, they agreed to spend the night at each other’s homes to get to know each other better.

First was the dwarf. His home was full of stools and things hung lower for his size. Doorframes were thinner and his lounge furniture was short. When he heard his friends were coming over, he ensured that signs were up to warn his friends of the things that hung low, or that the stools were put aside in their proper place. He bought a big feathered matress for him and his friends to lounge on. Then he spent the day cooking snacks and planning games for his friends. He did what he could to ensure his friends comfort for their stay.

The day came for the dwarf’s friends to come over. He warned them of the thinner doorways and items hanging low. The giant took note and bent down or waddled through where he could and praised his friend’s cooking. He laughed as he jumped onto the feathery mattress and enjoyed playing games with his friends. He only wished for a bigger toilet.

Meanwhile, the man complained about his back hurting from bending over so much. Multiple times he hit his head on things, growing more frustrated each time. The only thing alleviating his stress was the ability to laugh at the stools everywhere. At night, he demanded an actual bed and squeezed to fit into the dwarf’s bed. The man wished to not be inconvenienced so much.

Next week, the friends would stay at the giant’s house. Taking note of the differences in the dwarf’s house, the giant set stools aside for his shorter friends. He got a smaller toilet seat. The gaint also cleaned every inch of his place, ensuring that it smelled and looked comfortable. He planned stories for them to read on his huge and very soft couch. His planned sleeping arrangements were double bunk beds left from his childhood.

The night came for the friends to stay over. The dwarf adored the how clean and comfortable everything was. He appreciated the stools and enjoyed many of the stories. Well, he enjoyed how excited the giant was with the stories. The dwarf laughed at the smaller toilet seat and thanked his friend for the kindness.

Meanwhile the man huffed that everything was too soft and hard to get out off. He snorted at the food brought to them and found many of the stories boring. The giant tried to appease the man by playing a game. That was more fun, until they became tired. Going to bed, the man was appalled by the childish sleeping arrangements. He slept on the couch. He woke up fussy and left without thanking his friend. He was too uncomfortable to remember gratitude.

Then came the man’s turn the week after. He ensured to remind his friends to bring house gifts. He also reminded the dwarf to wear high heels and the giant to bring some blankets. He then reserved places for dinner at his favorite fancy restaurant. Then the friends came over. 

The dwarf’s feet hurt but he brought a game. The tall big man brought a movie and the items requested. The man smiled, took the gifts and blankets, only to set them in the living room on the floor where his friends were staying. Then he took them to his favorite fancy restaurant. The friends had fun out, but when they got home, the man went to his room and such the door, leaving his other two friends out. 

Soon afterwards, tragedy struck and the friends lost their houses in a storm. The storm affected many others, which lead to a house shortage. The dwarf and the giant decided to live together. They invited the man to join, but he remembered the inconveniences and his discomfort at the others’ houses. He declined and moved to get his own place. Problem was, no house could be lived alone unless he spent more money and went elsewhere. So he did.

The distance between the man and his friends strained their friendship. Then he could no longer pay for an individual house unless he worked more. So he did. He worked and worked and worked, seeing his friends and even his comfortable house, less and less. But even if he did get to go to his house, it became less comfortable and more boring. So he went to fancy places, ate fancy food, and needed more money. So he kept working and spending…working and spending….working and spending until he forgot what home was.

Meanwhile, the dwarf and the giant became brothers. Their place held stools, big soft couches, a bunk bed, and two different toilets. Together, they told stories, played games, and went out whenever they could. The dwarf cooked for the both of them while the giant cleaned. The giant did get thinner and the dwarf did get bigger. Storms came and their houses were blown away. But they were still the giant and the dwarf. They were still friends. They grew into brothers that made any house a home for their brotherhood to grow.

Real Talk

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So moving abroad has taught me a lot about living with another person. I found out that with living someone, you must be okay with change and humility. Are you willing to let go or adapt your comfort for someone else? Are they willing to do the same for you?

Living with people can be hard, because at times it’s really hard for us to let our comfort go. We don’t like being inconvenienced. So there is clashing and fights and arguments of who is going to the dishes. We fight for what we want and our convince, until we just corner ourselves into our nice comfort zone of our bedroom or we find ourselves doing anything and everything to avoid going home.

Living with God, abiding with Him, is different. God is willing to meet us where we’re at. 1 Corinthians even says that God wants us in the current state we’re in, whatever it may be. And that’s wonderful and so loving. But that love also includes us too. We aren’t just laying down and receiving love, we’re not just visitors in this dwelling situation with God. We’re living, abiding, with Him. Those are active words, we have active parts in this living situation. It’s an active thing because living with God is about making a home with Him. And home isn’t about the place, it’s about the who (God).

For the giant and the dwarf, it wasn’t about the houses, it was about the friend they wanted to know and appreciate. Yes, they needed a house, but that’s just a building. A house, an apartment, even our comfort zone, is temporary. But God, our relationship with Him, isn’t. We simple just move into the next situation, next storm, a better house with Him. But we have to stay with Him. 

We, well I have to be willing to let go of my comforts, that do change (especially during a certain time of the month), and let myself be inconvenienced sometimes. My limitations annoy and inconvenience me. That doesn’t mean I have to let that frustration hinder or poision my time with God like the man did with his friends. Getting vulnerable with people or people-ing in general is uncomfortable, but if it’s what God called me to do in the moment, then I do it. Because I love Him. And He loves me, He loves me so much that He’s encouraged me and inspired me to write and geek out about Transformers. He loves me so much that He’s taken me all around His amazing world and protected (and provided for) me through it all. He loves me so much that He loves my family more than I ever could. He loves me so much, that He died and gives all He can, just for me. 

If God can do all of that for me, just to abide with me and love me, why can’t I do it for Him?