The Importance of Community

Two years ago, when I was planning my wedding... I could have counted on one finger – on a single finger – the number of people  I could have seen standing up there beside me at the altar that was not family to me or my ex in some way. Now let’s pause… because family is important to me, but our bridal court wouldn’t have been up there because it was my family, but mainly because I had no one else. 

I HAD NO FRIENDS and no community. I had completely isolated myself from relationships with other people because I was afraid they would hurt me as friends have in the past.

This year, God has been healing that wound for me and bringing people into my life that now I don’t know how I was ever living without! As a flawed human on this earth - I need people. I need community. Everyone does. We can’t make it alone. Humans aren’t designed that way. 

Something recently occurred in my life, where the promises that God had for me were under attack. So much so, that I almost RAN from my purpose and what God promised in an attempt to alleviate the chaos. I was about to “curse God and die” (Job 2:9)– I wanted to soooo bad. Like Job’s friends – My community called me out. (Well maybe not like Job’s friends because a lot of their assumptions were spot on.) I don’t know how to explain it any better than this but they bound me from running with THEIR faith and they wouldn’t have been able to do that if I didn’t let them in. I didn’t have the faith, nor the desire, so they lent me theirs. They professed and stood in the gap for me on things that I couldn’t do. Their faith was so strong for me in my situation that I can’t even really explain to you why I didn’t go through with running and self-isolating. It was like I blinked and was over it. The desire to run was gone.

And they weren’t the only ones. I recently joined a small group with a bunch of ladies who truly still don't know me from a can of paint. But when I was in that moment of despair, they poured into me. Affirming me, and assuring me.

I had one group refusing to let me give up, calling me out, holding me accountable, and willing me back to my purpose. And another group loving me, patching me back up, and giving me a safe space to lick my wounds.

Am I making any sense right now? How do I make this make sense without telling specifics? … 

The bottom line is having a community – a GOOD community– is important because we are incapable of handling everything on our own. When I slip (or run) I have people there to support me. When it gets hard I have people there to speak over me. When I forget who I am, I have people there to pour into me and when I’m feeling worthless, I have people there to love on me. 

I have so many people in my corner loving on me right now that if I were to plan a wedding now, I don’t know how we would all fit! – Sorry cousins <3

YOU AREN'T MEANT TO DO THIS LIFE ALONE.

Trust me, Lex.