community

community is an interesting thing. it has the greatest potential to help us and the greatest potential to hurt us. it is something we all long for but at the same time shun it when it isn’t perfect and neat. it pushes us to better and sometimes it just plain pushes our buttons.

i have been blessed to be a part of a lot of different communities. church communities. work communities. work combined with church communities. crossfit communities. etc. etc. etc. they each had strengths and weaknesses. they have each played a role in my life. they have each blessed me with different things.

but right now…right now i feel like i am in the sweet spot. and what is interesting is it is so different than i thought it would be. i always thought the ultimate community would leave me never having to be sitting alone in my apartment. or it would just be that we got along all the time. that my feelings were never hurt. that i was never really challenged and people only saw the good side of me.

but that isn’t community. community is the nitty gritty of life…together. and together with people who are imperfect just like you. they either work too much or don’t pursue you like you wish they would. they think the same way as you or whatever else. they have different habits and hang ups. they have different pasts and ways of processing. that is the glorious truth though!

a few weeks ago i was listening to Josh Kouri’s “gospel community” and he talked about how we won’t ever grow in the fruit of the Spirit if we aren’t placed in situations where we have to be loving and peaceable. community is it! community is the place where that gets to take place. and hopefully it is a healthy community and you grow from it instead of shutting down. but true community loves and encourages and challenges all at the same time.

and in the end…it makes you praise the only One deserving of praise. the only one who gave it all to come to save me. a sinner like me. a sinner like you. He puts us in community to push us to Him!