Community.

I want to apologize for my snarky comments about snow yesterday.  I realized this afternoon that I was a little bit bitter about the fact that I can't go out and play in it.  When I looked out into our backyard this morning and saw the five-foot drift (no joke) against our fence, I so longed to just dig a huge hole into it for a snow fort.  Building snow forts is something I will never be too old for, and I have to admit my sadness at not being able to do it yet.

One of the things that I did, however, get to enjoy about the snow today was watching my family, and our neighbors work together.  It was on the news even - (not my family, but) a large population of people helping one another with the massive amounts of snow.  It brought a sense of community, and a way for people to serve one another.  It was cool to see in action.  There were three or four teens out front helping my parents dig out of the snow, and move it from one place to the next.  It was cool to see.

There is this small group series called "Doing Life Together", and whenever I think of the idea of community, I think of that - doing life together.  Community is kind of a buzz word right now - what does it really mean?  What does it mean to do life with other people?  In my mind, it starts with the people that immediately surround us, the people that we encounter regularly, the people that we brush shoulders with.  How we treat them, and how we bless them, and how we respond to them - those are the things that draw me to other people, and the things I want to be better at doing.  What I have learned is that power really lies in the day-to-day interactions.  For example, the willingness to take an extra 15 minutes to help shovel someone's driveway, or taking time to really listen after asking someone, "How are you?" 

When I was living in Milwaukee with a wonderful family that is committed to living in community, one of the things I was most challenged by was doing the dishes.  It's so funny because everyone thinks that communal living is this grandiose thing, but no one ever wants to do the dishes.  Living in community is quite simple: think often of others, and live generously & simply.  Like Jesus.

There is an amazing number of ways to bless people around you, right?  Doing the dishes without being asked, making meal for others in a busy week, listening well, no matter how busy you are, praying for others, giving up that really great parking space, sending a letter just because you love someone, smiling at the grumpy checkout person...these things are a great start, right?  But choosing those things sometimes becomes difficult for me because I'm so focused on myself, my schedule, my routine, my lack of routine...it's amazing how distracted I can become.  How self-focused I can be. 

The word "together" is mentioned 387 times in the Bible, according to my good friend BibleGateway.com.  I just think that that fact is such a tribute to how God designed us to live: together.  I'm thankful that by being surrounded by others, I become less focused on myself.  I'm thankful that God has placed so many encouraging people in my life.  I'm thankful for my neighbors and their willingness to serve.  I'm thankful that one gigantic snowstorm can bring the word "community" to fruition.