Community.

I've been experiencing a lot lately that's related to living in community. It seems like every song I've listened to, book I've read or sermon I've heard all hinges on this idea of community. I was very blessed to experience this idea of community while at Auburn. I lived and walked among people that understood what it really means to "love each other." It wasn't always easy, but at the end of the day we all managed to think the best of each other, knowing the Spirit that lives inside each of us and understanding the toil living in a broken world causes us.

One of my favorite authors is Henri Nouwen. In his book "Reaching Out" he says, "It is this inner mystery that attracts us to each other and allows us to establish friendship and develop lasting relationships of love. An intimate relationship between people not only asks for mutual openness but also for mutual respectful protection of each other's uniqueness." He precedes this statement by discussing how often times we rush into relationships with each other never really being able to see one another's uniqueness or "inner mystery", as he calls it.

Relationships are hard work. There's a give and take. So many times when we move to a new city or start a new phase of life, we jump into relationships/friendships with people in order to cure our lonliness and never allowing them to organically develop over time. I'm guilty of meeting someone and instantly wanting to know everything about their life in that moment. Instead we should take the time to allow these things to develop as they come.

My desire is to develop real relationships with people who want to take the time to get to know me, instead of jumping to conclusions about me after one encounter. I want these relationships to hinge on the fact that we're believers in Christ all doing our best to seek Him and encouraging each other along the way. I know we live in a broken world and I can't even begin to understand anothers pain the way in which they feel it. But I know who I am in Christ and I know that He lives in me and I trust in the guidance of His Spirit to lead me to the people that He wants me to love and who will love me in return.