Wasn't Saturday just a beautiful weather day? Well that night my daughters were out of town, my wife was at work, and my 11-year-old son said, “Hey dad, can we have some of that real tough steak like we had that one time?”

I thought to myself, “Everyone's gone but me and my son, we can have anything we want for dinner, and he wants a tough steak?!” What's the deal?!

And then I realized exactly where he was coming from. Last summer, my family had one of the best family nights we ever had, and I happened to grill steak that night. And when I say grill, I mean grilled and grilled. I must have gotten sidetracked or something because those steaks were the worst I've ever grilled, no fault of the steak. It was simply (as they say) operator error. But hey, the weather was mild, everyone was in a good mood, and the peach tea and corn on the cob were great. All in all, it was a very special evening, and it didn't even matter that the steak was a little past, well, a lot past well done.

For most of us, spending quality time with those we love ranks right at the top of the most important things in life. And as my son proved to me, it really doesn't even matter if the steak resembles flavored shoe leather.

The best relationship building has nothing to do with how much money you spend on someone. It doesn't even matter if your plans for a perfect day turn out nothing like you planned. As for me, sometimes it seems the harder I try to force a plan to succeed, the worse things turn out.

The thing I like the most about any surprise, good or bad, regarding relationships, is that I'm reminded I'm not in control of everything, or anything for that matter. That may seem like a bad thing at first. But then I come to the realization that we're all in trouble if there's not someone smarter than me in charge. In fact, for those times when it seems God reminds me of who's really in charge, it always turns out to be a faith-building experience. In the end, I am always reminded that putting my faith and trust in God instead of self is always the better option.

Spending quality time with those you love is a worthy and admirable goal. But saving room for God's guidance in all of your relationships whether personal, professional, family, or friends, will bless your life in more ways than you can imagine. You will soon understand that many of those so-called coincidences may not be chance at all, but rather God working in your life. Have a great week!

Reach Barrett Vanlandingham at Fort Gibson Church of Christ, 478-2222 or ftgcoc_ barrett@sbcglobal.net.