Commmunity

~ this is a long introspective blog, its good but long...

I want to reflect a little bit on the main things that God spoke to me in 2007. The main thing that sticks out is that faith is lived out in community and with other people. I have moved a lot in my life so I have an ability/tendency/weakness to be able to do life by myself pretty well. I’ve been to movies by myself, I’ve eaten in restaurants by myself and explored the world by myself… “table for one please”, these things scare other people but I’ve found a contentment in being alone…I’m thinking I went from contentment to comfortable and God now needs to rock me out of my comfort. Its tough though because when its just me I get to decide, order, do whatever I want to do but when you are with others you sacrifice, sometimes I wonder is the trade-off worth it. God then reminded me my life isn’t about me, it’s a selfless journey of unconditional love for the sake of His Name.

God really challenged me to seek out community this year and with people that I wouldn’t naturally seek community with. It has been a challenge and there have been a lot of times when I’ve retreated to my solitary ways. Maybe its because I’m American, maybe its because I’m a young single twenty something or maybe its because I’m in Africa as a missionary but there is this underlying tendency in me to associate needing people as a weakness. I’ve discovered in the last year, well I guess I always knew in my soul, that people are a source of strength. Donald Miller puts it like this in his book Blue Like Jazz, “Other people keep our souls alive, just like food and water does with our body.” I’m learning to expose my need for people and flat out ask for friendships. I’m learning to initiate community.

My friend Joy Parker ministered to me a lot this year. Joy loves people. Joy loves annoying, selfish, awkward people. She likes everyone with no agenda. Often those hard/difficult/awkward people turn into awesome people who while still maybe different are great…they reflect God in their unique personalities and open there arms to new people.

My friend Elias in college befriended a weird guy from the University of Washington. This guy said the most inappropriate things all of the time and constantly talked about how horrible life was. He was miserable to be around. Elias was Jesus to him, when everyone else, including to some degree me, pushed this guy even more into isolation, weirdness and desperation…Elias reached out beyond reason going the 2^nd mile to rescue him from self destruction caused by the catalyst arrows of society’s and my own judgment.

The point is that community is messy but it is sacred. It is difficult but it contains true blessings. It is an area of ministry and it acts as ministry to our souls. We need others, we need to be needed, and we can’t go far unless we go together. I’m unlearning that strength is not needing people and I pray that 2008 is full of friendships, community and selfless love. God let me be interrupted from the efficiency of myself and my ways.

…again God reminded me that I often look for community and miss it. I think it looks a certain way with a certain gender, age or group of people. I’m looking for this Patrick Construct of community meanwhile I miss the community God has placed right in front of me…God is still speaking to me on this.