Today, during our church service, we were asked if we were satisfied with the community and relationships that we currently have in our life. In my head, I was proudly able to answer, “Yes, I am.”
Our pastor went on to say “If you answered ‘yes’, congratulations, you should start a blog.” Since I’ve already done that (thank you very much), I decided maybe it was time to make a blog post.
My family has recently purchased a new home, which is probably why it’s been so long since I‘ve been able to find the time to blog (although, at this point, I feel like I should really stop finding excuses because, if I’m being honest, it seems I could come up with a thousand different ones). Anyway... our new home is in a beautiful neighborhood, great school district, and we are surrounded by some of the greatest people that we know.
Jason and I have always felt as though we’re surrounded by some of God’s greatest. Our children, parents, siblings, grandparents, aunts, uncles, cousins, and friends are amongst our greatest treasures. Our fondest memories are ones that have included vacations with family, lazy Sundays at our parents’ or siblings’ houses, time spent with our nieces and nephews, and laid back evenings with friends.
We haven’t typically been a couple that would consider ourselves to have “a lot” of friends, but the ones we have had, along with our families, have been ones that we have always cherished. We have always felt surrounded by an overwhelming amount of love and support. Something that we never want to take for granted.
When we originally set out to buy a new home, our goal was to be physically closer to church. We have found that, lately, our greatest moments had been experienced when we were in community and spending time with others, as we worshipped our God through song and praise and reflected on the message provided by our pastor. The sense of fulfillment that we felt (and continue to feel) when we invest in these various outings, activities, and experiences is one that is truly hard to put words to. We have a total sense of belonging and fullness.
It was important for my husband and I to be sure that there was no reason we couldn’t continue to engage and take advantage of these various opportunities.
Right around the time we had considered moving to be closer to our “church building”, we had been invited to join a new “small group”. Doing life with these men and women have seriously been such a breath of fresh air for my family and I.
Ironically, there are a few families that live in the same neighborhood, and what originally started out as a joke, transpired into the opportunity for us to move into this very same area.
When we stumbled upon a house for sale in that neighborhood, we weren’t sure that it would be the right fit for us, for various reasons. We decided to fully put it in God’s hands. We decided to pray and ask for Him to place us wherever we needed to be to be closer to Him. In a few shorts weeks, we had purchased our new home and listed our current home for sale which received a full price offer just days later. Our prayers had been answered. It’s amazing to reflect back on what God had in mind when we asked that He bring us “closer to church.” Being in community and being able to surround ourselves with others who share in the same beliefs as us has been such a blessing. We’ve been taught to ”Love Thy Neighbor”, both figuratively and literally. This last month has given the literal sense of that phrase so much meaning. It has been so uplifting and fun.
What we have also learned with this move, is that physical closeness isn’t always necessary to maintain community and important relationships. We have been able to understand the importance of continuing to love on those both near, far, and further yet.
When I think about the community that I’m surrounded by, I feel so humbled. I feel so much love by those I feel super close to, those that I’m acquainted with, and those that, even still, have yet to love on.
I think this is so important. Momma’s (or whomever is reading), I encourage you to find this community. Search for these relationships. Find those that you can rely on in the valley and while on the mountain tops. Surround yourself with those that love you and, as equally important, that you can love on in return.
And, as always, if you’re feeling as though you have been searching and have not able to find what you’re looking for, I would love to be that for you, whether near or far.
I pray that if we aren’t able to be physically close, that, at least, this blog could be that for you. A sense of community. A sense of belonging. A sense of love.
As always, thank you for reading along. Thank you for being a part of my community, that I so deeply cherish.
Until next time...
Your,
(friendly) Christian Momma