Day 63. I have chosen to live intentionally toward the goals, dreams and desires God has placed on my heart for the last 90 days of this year, pressing past fear, excuses and discomfort toward fullness of life as we countdown to 2020. Day 63: cultivating community.
This week has been all about walking in greater obedience to God: what to lay down, what to take up, what to cling to and what to release. As I have walked in greater obedience, my friends, a divine gift, have made it possible:
“Kim, no more excuses!”
“Look at us! We are finally doing this! “
“Alright, by Friday. We will get this done by Friday. Hold me accountable?”
I have experienced seasons in life and ministry that have been deeply lonely—everyone has. But what a tremendous gift when God provides companions for the journey! Companions who will laugh with us, cry with us, call us out on our mess, push us towards God’s best for our lives and cheer us on.
Some days, like today, we gather with cups of freshly made chai. We listen. We remember where we’ve been. We process where we are. We agree to say yes to that which scares us, that which feels so much bigger than we are but we know God is inviting us to move toward. We engage in hard conversations about racism, sexism, sin and oppression. We explore how our experiences connect and differ. We learn from one another. We embrace one another fully as examples of God’s beautiful creativity—God’s kingdom come through hair textures, skin colors and cultures. We hold space for one another. At the end of it all we ask, “So what are we going to do about what God has shown us?” And we choose, once again, to journey down the path together a little further laughing, crying, calling one another out, pushing one another towards God’s best for our lives and cheering one another on. We do this together.
“Friendship is born at that moment when one person says to another: “What! You too? I thought I was the only one.”
—CS Lewis
ACTION STEPS: Reflect. What relational support do you have right now? What relational support do you need right now? Ask God to give you eyes to see, ears to hear and a receptive heart so you may find and cultivate community in your life.
