When I was in fourth grade, I remember lining up during recess to pick teams for a game of soccer. Even in fourth grade we had popular students, and Tim was one of those! He was always the team captain, and I wanted to be on his team. Names were called, some people excited about the team they were on, others just excited they weren’t picked last. This one time, and I think only this once, I was picked second to last. I remember the feeling as I stood there wondering if anyone even wanted me on their team. I can’t even imagine how (leaving his name out) felt because he was shorter and extremely scrawny. It was not an enjoyable experience.
There is something about our human nature that creates within us a desire to be liked. At least for most of us! Most of us have a desire to love and be loved. To have others like us. To belong to some type of group, circle of friends, organization. Even most of my single friends aren’t that way because of lack of desire for relationship. We crave a place, a setting where others will invite us into a real relationship/friendship where we don’t have to try and be fake to fit in. I like to relate it to vitamins. Something good for me and for my future, but so hard to remember to take. It’s always a good idea, and we remember at the store to buy them, intending to take them, but they sit in a cupboard oftentimes for weeks without any other thought. The only way to take those vitamins is to somehow work it into your routine. Eat a bowl of cereal, drink some coffee, take vitamins, brush teeth.
This fall, Open Life (the church community we are apart of) will be helping to facilitate an answer to this felt need through ‘Groups’. It is not our intent to create another program, nor do we feel like this structure is the only way in which to facilitate meaningful relationships. However, as noted before, it’s too easy to go through life knowing we need/want something and never take the time to see it come to fruition. Groups will, hopefully, create a time, place and space in our busy calendars and lives to draw us closer to seeing this relational desire met in ours, and maybe more importantly, in those we grow in relationship with.
Nobody is expecting to openly share every single little detail, good and bad about ourselves with people we barely know. But we will be real. We will be full of life. Open to the fact that none of us are perfect, but we are interested in knowing a perfect God. Open to the fact that we may differ in how we discipline children, but offer grace as we have been offered grace from God. Open to the reality that sometimes life happens and we can’t make it to ‘church’ or to our group, but practicing an affirming reality that second to our relationship with Jesus is our family.
Sheena and I will be opening our home to anyone who would like to join us, Friday evenings @ 7pm. Whenever you have to leave is fine, but let’s keep it closer to Friday than Saturday morning if possible! 🙂 For our time we’ll connect about our weeks, what the kids have been getting into trouble with, how the Hawks are finally winning, eat food, drink drinks, dialogue about our thoughts regarding the week’s reading. As a group we’ll also be walking through the book ‘Crazy Love’ by Francis Chan. Such an easy read and very inspiring to live out our lives the way Jesus did and would. Love. Rabbit trails are allowed!
We’ll meet October 10 – December 10.
Send me an email for more information!