Cultivating Community
This season of new has been an adventurous one for us Lamberts and for that I am grateful.
We have made two big moves in the last year that have caused us Lamberts to carry the title of the ‘New Folks’ for far longer than we’re comfortable with. In this season I have grown quiet, felt insecure, been unintentionally left out, forgotten and lonely, and most importantly learned a few things about myself and my place here that has created life-changing spaces between myself and God.
I am honored to serve a God who loves the uncomfortable and constantly moves people towards growth.
Here are some things I'm growing through in this season of newness:
I am not known and that's exhausting.
I sometimes feel forgotten and that can get lonely.
I miss home.
I know I am not the only one who loves the adventure of saying yes to new things, but with all new things comes a space to learn.
Here are truths we should be reminding each other of today:
God is a true includer.
He not only sees the lonely in your heart but desires to walk the road with you. The plan of His day includes your name, your gifts, your heart. Often times, it takes a lonely season to reveal to me that I am looking for acceptance in people who are broken and will continue to fail me as I do them. In my quiet with God, and genuine ‘yes’ to giving my all to what He places in front of me, I find my worth and feel my acceptance.
Community is mine to build.
New or old to an area, I am responsible for the people God places in my life. As I intentionally ask God to focus my eyes on those who need to be seen, I am reminded that it is not my job to fit into a crowd, but to reach out to those who need a friend. The hurt of the world is heavy and Jesus brings light and life. He offers healing, friendship, and hope in all seasons. I am responsible to fight for others to know that love.
God is in the community AND the quiet.
Lately I have felt a quiet with God that left me a bit frustrated. I found it hard to give Him my mornings and communicate my heart throughout the day. I needed to feel close again and made the commitment to just show up, with no plan, books, podcasts, or worship music, just me, God, and His word. Through that I noticed my spiritual growth was strongest while in community. I had a dependency on community that was beautiful but borderline dangerous. I studied the Word for small group questions and not to just know the heart of God. I listened to teachers to reveal the word to me before I asked big questions of God. Often times I prayed for and with my closest sisters in Christ before my knees hit the floor on my own. When my community was striped away I felt distant and lonely; today I’m learning to start with God and the agenda of me and Jesus and that is making all the difference.
My mission is to love.
I am to love the people in my world not to depend on, judge, find my worth in, or give my heart and mind to. I get to ask, ‘How can I make this person feel loved today?” as a start to building the physical community and friendships I need with the confidence that in that, God cultivates the true connection between two people ready to embrace the other with love.
Christ, who said to the disciples, "Ye have not chosen me, but I have chosen you," can truly say to every group of Christian friends, "Ye have not chosen one another but I have chosen you for one another." The friendship is not a reward for our discriminating and good taste in finding one another out. It is the instrument by which God reveals to each of us the beauties of others.”
― C.S. Lewis, The Four Loves
Warmly,
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