One doesn't equal the other, but the the idea here, is that the first naturally tends away from the other!
As in any marriage; ( and I'm sure we ( those of us who are married, anyway ) can all relate to this) 'communication is key'! If we fail to communicate with our spouse, then more often than not; things tend to go 'downhill' pretty quickly, and we begin to lose the 'joy' ( Proverbs 5:18 & 19 ) in our marriage very quickly: so, when we fail to communicate, whether through 'alone time', or fellowship with His Body, with our Father God, our 'heavenly', spiritual spouse; we also begin to lose 'sight' of our joy in relation with Him through His Body, the Church, and I believe that we also 'lose' a bit of the power, or incentive ( blessing ) that we have, if we choose to 'see' it.
When we think of 'communication', particularly in a marriage; we most often think of 'talking', and though that is certainly an important ( and integral )part of it, there are many other ( maybe even more important ) forms of communication that we often fail to take advantage of. In relation to our 'heavenly spouse'; while it is important that we keep up our personal time with Him, through prayer and meditation ( David's Psalms are good for this ), I believe it is equally important to communicate ( commune ) with His Body, the Church, wherever we might come in contact with them.As I've noted in a previous article; Paul's instruction ( correction ) to the church at Corinth regarding their observance ( some might say 'abuse' ) of the 'Lord's Supper', was not aimed, so much, at their failing to recognize the spiritual significance ( as orthodoxically viewed ), as at their failure to communicate with His Body, to recognize His Body for what it really was, His people, and to share ( communicate ) the blessings that they were beneficiaries of.
In much the same way today; we, as Christians, often fail to communicate, with our 'spouse', either by not living a life of thankfulness, or neglecting, for whatever reason, to communicate our thankfulness with His Body, not just by our words of prayer and praise, but with actions that betray a thankful attitude.
I had thought not to write anything special for this traditional holiday season, because I believe, as with other such celebrations, that the observance of a special day, or even a certain season tends to detract, somewhat from an everyday observance. As you can see, if you're reading this; Someone had other Plans. Either that,or I'm more of a traditionalist than I'd like to admit............
in thankful love,
Charles Haddon Shank
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