Thursday, September 26, 2013

Living in Community

Living in community is something that has always sounded really appealing to me because in theory it sounds like the greatest thing since sliced bread but in practice it is usually really hard. Community is more than a group of people living in close proximity. Community is more than people that occasionally meet together. Community is more than a TV show. Community is choosing to allow people into your story and showing them the broken pieces. Community is just sitting with someone when there are no words to say. Community is sharing a meal or coffee together and talking through the struggles of real life.

Community has been a learning process for me. I used to think community was a group of friends I hung out with in high school or my roommates in college. I thought living in community meant hanging out to celebrate birthdays and the occasional Saturday backyard barbecue. A few years ago, the young adult pastor taught me what it looked like to love each other and seek friendships beyond just a passing hello. I thought transparence was a weakness, but I learned the beauty in being broken in a community that loved me and walked with me through the restoration process. In India, I learned the hard part of living in community in a foreign context. I learned the importance of grieving hard things and the celebrating the good things the people who quickly became my community so far from home. At camp, I learned the importance of loving people well and being honest when living and working in close proximity for 10 weeks. I built friendships with people that wanted to invest in me and were wiling to meet me where I was in my brokenness and walk alongside me as I journey to Peru.

Coffee dates have become a huge part of my life over the last month. I sat with a friend who understands the ups and downs of planning a move to a foreign country. We sat over coffee sharing our excitement and fears of the unknown but knowing God only has good things for us. The phrase "me too" was said so many times that it was reassuring that I God brought us into community to go through life together. Another conversation over coffee revolved around the idea that sometimes God allows us to choose our path when He opens multiple doors. We talked about leaps of faith and the willingness to be lead when the path doesn't seem to lead where we want to go. I have also had the opportunity to meet with a youth pastor that I met at camp who has become a friend. I was able to share my struggles with her and she asked really tough questions that I needed to hear. I love the community God has given me and I cherish the gift of coffee dates and the willingness to do life together. Community is hard but it is a beautiful gift.

"By this all people will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another." John 13:35

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