and He gave us each other

You know how you've read some Bible stories what seems like a million times, and you already know everything about them but then God surprises you with something new in them anyway?

I was reading the story of the Prodigal Son and kind of put my brain on autopilot, because I know it inside out.

I used to hear it a lot, and I always thought what a total shame it was that the younger son took his share of the Dad's money and wasted it. So ungrateful, and so unfair. I felt a kinship with the sulky older son - that's definitely who I'd be in the story: jealous of the one who'd made off with a big chunk of my dad's wealth and lived it up and then came home and was welcomed with fancy clothes and a feast.

But like he often does, in spite of my assurance that I already know this story, God showed me something new this time around.

As a reader, I was always really taken with the greedy son who took his dad's money and ran away. But within the story, the people who are concerned with the money?

The prodigal son.
His friends.
The elder son.

The people who aren't concerned with the money?

The father.

He never brings it up. He isn't concerned with it. When the son leaves, he doesn't keep watch with hope for the return of his fortune.  When the son comes back, he doesn't ask him what he's done with the money, hoping there might be some left.

The important thing, again and again and again, is people. Connection. Togetherness.  His heart longs after his sons; he cares about both his runaway son and his jealous son. These are the ones he loves, they are the treasure of his heart.

And he loves them so much. He wants to celebrate the younger son's return, but not alone. He goes to the elder son and begs him to come join them in celebrating. Begs him. He needs both of his sons for his joy to be complete.

One of my friends reached out to me lately to ask me about counseling and to confess that she feels like a bit of a failure to need help.

Do I understand? Hoo boy, do I ever.

Like Luisa in Encanto, I feel like I have to be strong and not let anything fall and never let anyone down and hold it all together.  I feel like a person should be able to handle their life on their own and not need anyone else.  <-- this, of course, is false.

In the garden of Eden, before any snake and sin made their appearance and broke us, God said it wasn't good for man to be alone. So He made him a helper. Then He put them in the garden to take care of it.

Creation needed care. The perfect first man needed - listen to that, needed! - help.

We were not made for self-sufficiency.

Not made for it.

It's a fuel that doesn't work in this engine.

We were not designed to meet all of our own needs, nor the needs of our lives - and God did not tell us to come to Him for all of those needs either.

They need a helper, He said - and He gave us each other. (!!!)

I act like both sons all the time. If I just have enough money, I think, I can handle this life and be on my own.

or , in the mode of the other son - 

Somebody wasn't there for me, why should I be there for them? If they cared, they'd reach out. I don't need them.

But self-sufficiency is a lie. There's no such thing. That's not how we were built.

We were built to need - to NEED - and God saw what he had made, and God called it good.

We need each other. We need brothers and sisters, we need sons and daughters and parents and friends and we need counselors and doctors and neighbours and coworkers.  We need help and direction and we need support and understanding and we need love. Needing each other isn't a sign of brokenness or sinfulness or weakness.

Needing each other is how we were made. It's the mode of our existence, and it's what the father's heart knew: we are each other's true treasure.

We need help ... and for this, He gave us each other.