Most people, upon visiting our bridgeless island, realize that it is not a place where they could actually live. Sure, it might be a great place to spend a few days or weeks, unplugged from the hustle and bustle of the rest of the world while being surrounded by the serenity of live oaks, dirt roads, and uncrowded beaches. However, for most, the need to be able to get in your car and drive to whatever convenience your heart may desire is too compelling, which quickly rules out living in a place where your schedule is defined by the times of the ferry.
However, there are some for whom the romantic appeal of the island is strong enough to convince them to take the leap and move here. They boldly put their belongings on the barge, unpack as members of our unusual community, and begin to settle in. As the weeks turn into months of living on ferry-served island, sometimes the romance continues to burn brightly, but sometimes it is dimmed by the legitimate logistical challenges. The moat that surrounds us does indeed limit opportunities, whether it is for employment, recreation, worship, or even socializing. Ultimately, after a year or two, the romance disappears completely, and our new residents pack their home and barge their lives off of Daufuskie.
There are some here who, knowing this pattern, have taken the personal stance of not wanting to form relationships with newcomers until they have shown that they aren’t going to move away. For those folks, the emotional investment doesn’t bring a worthy return, so they wait and keep their personal circle of friends smaller. And while I understand the reasoning, I disagree, because I have seen God send people into my life for a season, for a purpose that could never have been fulfilled if I had stiff-armed them until they had proven that they were going to stay for the duration.
This isn’t a phenomenon that is restricted to islands, either. All of us have had seasons in our lives where the relationships that we formed were temporary in terms of regular presence, yet had lasting impacts long after you went your separate ways. The most obvious is when you were in school, whether that was your primary education or in college, where nearly everyone went in different directions when the schooling was finished. And today, with all of our available communications technology, relationships formed when in proximity can continue even when separated by oceans.
Jesus walked with his apostles for roughly three years before being taken up to heaven. However, the relationships that he formed with them were strong enough that he was able to say to them upon his departure that he would be with them always, to the very end of the age. A relationship formed through close encounters that could carry on forever, that would have been missed if the apostles had decided to wait to invest in the relationship until Jesus had proven that he was going to stick around. So perhaps we should embrace those who God puts in our path without worrying if they are going to be a good long-term investment, because sometimes those short-term relationships can have the greatest impact on our lives.
Peace and blessings – Pastor Aaron