I’m so excited to share this beautiful conversation I had with Jenet Erickson with you. Being just a few days away from Christmas, this felt like the perfect episode to share because it feels like it is just drenched in Jesus.
Jenet Erickson is an associate professor in Religious Education at Brigham Young University and a research fellow of the Institute for Family Studies and the Wheatley Institute. She received a PhD in Family Social Science from the University of Minnesota, after completing a bachelor’s degree in Nursing, and master’s degree in Linguistics at BYU. Jenet and her husband, Michael, have been blessed with two children. She has been a columnist on family issues for the Deseret News since 2013.
This conversation is an exploration of family and relationship, and why they sit at the very heart of God’s Great Work. Jenet states that “relationships are the core of flourishing. We are designed for love, we are designed for connection, we are designed to be in deep relationships.” We reflect on the vulnerability that comes with being in relationship, and yet how God invites us into ever deepening intimacy with Him and with one another. Jenet draws on temple symbols to help us better understand who God is and the kind of relationship He is inviting us into.
My ultimate takeaway from this precious conversation with Jenet is that we worship a God who cuts through all. Who will let nothing stand in His way, parting every barrier to meet His children exactly where they are. As Jenet says, “This is a love that will not let us go.”
Wishing each of you a Merry Christmas, and wishing you a moment to cut through all of the noise to find a moment of peace and connection with our Savior.
Listened to Jenet’s BYU devotional I referenced here.
