Hope Despite Heartache

There have been moments in life when the world around me simply stopped.  

In 2005 I had a miscarriage.  Our family stepped in to help care for our oldest in the middle of the night, as we rushed out the door to the hospital unsure of what would come next.  

In 2015 I was co-leading a meeting and got a call from my mom that my grandmother had gone to be with Jesus.  I excused myself from the meeting and went to be with my mom as all the details were sorted out.  

Several times over the last decade I’ve received calls that one family member or another was going by ambulance to the hospital for various reasons.  

In each of these instances, everything around me paused.  The things that were important mere moments before were suddenly put on hold as new decisions were made about what needed to happen next.  In every instance though, I found myself reaching for my phone to begin calling or texting my community.  The ones that I knew would pray before I even knew what was happening.  The ones that I knew would show up with food if necessary.  The ones that I knew would step in to help in whatever way was needed.  My community is a mixture of family and friends, and it has grown and changed over time.    

Last week we talked about community being intentional.  Community is something we practice by gathering together, building trust with each other, and forgiving each other when we make mistakes.  Relationships deepen over time.  Trust deepens over time.  The people you know you can call are the ones that have shown up before.  You might not see them all the time, but you know based on experience that they will do what needs to be done to walk through the unexpected with you.

We all need this kind of community.  We were never meant to weather this life alone.  

I love the picture of community we are given in 1 Peter 4.  Beginning in verse 8 we read, “Above all, love each other deeply, because love covers over a multitude of sins.  Offer hospitality to one another without grumbling.  Each of you should use whatever gift you have received to serve others, as faithful stewards of God’s grace in its various forms.  If anyone speaks, they should do so as one who speaks the very words of God.  If anyone serves, they should do so with the strength God provides, so that in all things God may be praised through Christ Jesus.”  

What kind of community member are you?  Do you love deeply?  Do you offer hospitality joyfully?  Are your gifts a blessing to others?  When you speak do your words reflect the very heart of God?  Do you serve one another in a way that glorifies Jesus?  

This week I want to encourage you to make two lists -   

First, take some time to examine your own heart and mind about community.  How are you showing up for your people?  Do you resemble the community attributes from 1 Peter 4?  

Second I want to encourage you to make a list of your people.  Who do you know you can call without hesitation no matter the situation you are facing?  With whom do you want to focus on building deeper connections?  

What are you putting into practice today to develop a flourishing community that will last for years to come?  

~  Melissa