this was a decidedly "girls" weekend. i didn't plan for it to be that way, but it ended up being the case. and while it's tough to barely see david when our weeks are so busy - every minute accounted for, every hour tied to a commitment - i was rather humbled by the answer to prayer that these friendships have become in my life.
i think of those first six months after australia... back in the cold, snowy bleakness of iowa winter, i was the loneliest i'd ever been. it was culture shock and isolation shock. in australia & in africa, i'd been immersed in undiluted community. i hadn't had a night alone in 6 months, hadn't had a bathroom to myself, a solitary meal, hadn't even had a secret. everyone knew everything. i never knew how much i'd needed it. the friendships were rich, unbelievably open, raw and strong, tied together by faith, by miracles, by Christ. i'd never felt anything like it, and then it was over. after living community like that, i knew i'd seen a glimpse how we were meant to be as people, but i also knew how impossible it would be to recreate, especially in america.
in des moines, living in my sister's cramped house, my only prayer was for some authentic friendships, some glimmer of community. i tried out the "dtc" in hope of finding what they advertised, but instead got burnt by these "christians" who were too exclusive for their own good. i found my saving grace in my friend zach, who also saw this need for unity, connection. it took 2 long years and it took God's timing and strategy to put the right people in the right places. but now i stop and look around and am amazed by all i see.
the lone tree garden is bursting at the seams with help and hands and enthusiasm. wednesday night soup has reinvented itself time and time again, but there is always the core crew of friends willing to show up, contribute, cook, clean, and end the night playing games and telling stories. there is sunday night girls group - where i am so amazed at how we've opened up, how we lean on each other, how we hold nothing back. there are debates, there are tears, there are confessions and there are prayers - all of these desperately needed, on a weekly basis. there are shows and potlucks and house warming parties and camp-outs and drive-in movie nights and dive bars and birthday parties and all the in-betweens. none of it forced, just a natural progression of sorts.
i think it is how Christ intended for the church to be. starting small, on an individual level, we lock hands with our neighbors, knit our lives into their lives, try to create a support system so we don't have to do this alone. and if there were enough of these little collections of people living lives together, with doors wide open, then i think these little collections of people could be the church, could bring a little kingdom to earth.
at least for a little while.
No comments:
Post a Comment