Community

Recently the Lord has been reminding me of how important community is.

I don’t just mean community in terms of a very broad “all of the people in your town” sense. I mean the village around you that supports and holds you up.

Historically, I have always believed that I am too much. That I’m “a lot.”

I have a really strong personality and that doesn’t always appeal to the masses.

I’m loud.

I love big.

I can be demanding or “needy” at times.

I can also be distant at times.

I overthink and overanalyze.

I talk A LOT.

I tell a lot of stories and my brain constantly connects dots (and wants me to share them aloud).

Now…as I’ve gotten older, I’ve learned that I can be all of those things and still not be “too much.”

I may be “too much” for some people. Those are NOT my people (and that’s okay).

To my people, I’m like baby bear’s porridge…just right.

Community is so important. Having people around you to encourage, laugh with, correct, and love you are so necessary. When I’m wrong, tell me. When I’m doing a good job, remind me.

Last year, as my marriage was ending, I lost my community. Nearly every person I loved or had around me.

I was hurt.

I hadn’t expected the way that happened or anticipated the extent of the loss that would stem from that life change.

I struggled to understand how a new community could even be possible.

You know who didn’t? My Father.

He placed me back with an old friend. We began doing ministry together. Her kids adopted my kids as their good friends. She plugged me into a group of like-minded folks in our church around our same age (many with kids of varying ages) and I was accepted pretty quickly.

I didn’t even realize until recently that God had restored my community.

My daughter recently completed a 1 month theater camp in which she learned a musical production and performed it for an audience made up of many from our county.

On the second and final performance night, I had known my friend and her fam were coming. What I didn’t know is that our whole community was ready to show up. 19 people in addition to her brother and I. They were all there, showing up to support my girl, because they love her.

I still get emotional just thinking about all of the children bragging on her and telling her how great she did. All of the adults loving on my girl and encouraging her love for theater. I can still see her face when she realized they had all come, still recall the joyous jump she took.

This weekend I traveled to a Summer Worship Nights concert featuring two well known Christian artists. My kiddos couldn’t make it but when I walked in to meet my people for a late lunch yesterday, an entire table of kiddos erupted into “Teresa!” (Or “MamaT,” depending on which kid it was).

We worshipped, we laughed, we made jokes, we stuffed 18 people into an elevator at the parking garage (about half were children), we laughed some more.

I can’t pinpoint exactly when it happened; when my community truly formed again. The Lord made it gradual and eased me in.

We need each other. We were never intended to do all of this on our own. Who you’re surrounded with is important. It can make or break you.

Jesus created a group of disciples to do life and ministry with. Those disciples then carried on the work he was doing and created an even bigger community of believers. We NEED community.

Little things matter.

To my heart and so also to God.

I’m so grateful. ♥️