I've Got This
Recently our current church family celebrated 30 years of ministry. There was a celebratory time spent remembering accomplishments and a look forward to future goals. As the slide show played and people whooped & hollered their excitement, I was happy for them. What a blessing to have roots that run so deep. But there is a small part of me, a selfish one admittedly, where sorrow had settled in my heart. I have not been allowed that kind of history. My roots run far & wide.
Being alone has never really bothered me. An empty, quiet house is soothing, going to the movies or dinner by myself enjoyable and working hard while deep in thought is satisfying. It's not until I'm surrounded by people that I feel alone. It wasn't until I met Matty, that I seriously considered marriage. It's not until I sit by myself at a women's event that I wonder who should I talk to or maybe have car trouble early in the early morning that I wish for community to do life with. I mostly just think to myself, "I've got this."
I am not complaining about my journey. I am thankful for each person God has placed in my life, in each city that He has led us to. The friends He has blessed me with have always been just what I needed in that season. I am rich with friendships that line my heart with the goodness of God. But with the ebb & flow of life, coupled with distance, you try to not hold on too tight. "I've got this."
Matt & I recently finished a series on ABC called Castaways. The premise of the show was to drop a group of people over a string of deserted islands. Supplies & shelter had been littered all over the islands. People then had the choice to go it alone or strike out to find companionship. It was a social experiment with no monetary reward. It was interesting to watch the evolution of people's ideals of survival. Many tried to go it alone only to find that they did indeed need the help of others. Loneliness discouraged them. The show ended with the surviving members finding one another. They chose to continue working & living together, playing together. They became a community. Their "I've got this" changed into "We've got this."
We weren't created to live life alone.
In the Old Testament book of Ecclesiastes, Solomon spends the first several chapters lamenting how the toil of his hands & all that he has done by himself, for himself were in vain. With all that he had done & obtained he was discontent. But then in chapter four he declares...
Two are better than one, Because they have a good reward for their labor.
For if they fall, one will lift up his companion. But woe to him who is alone when he falls,
For he has no one to help him up.
Again, if two lie down together, they will keep warm; But how can one be warm alone?
Though one may be overpowered by another, two can withstand him. And a threefold cord is not quickly broken.*
There is strength in numbers. Safety in the pack. And joy in the labor done side by side. Is it always easy? Do all of our different personalities mesh cohesively? No. Can our hearts still be hurt? Intentions misinterpreted? Yes. But is it worth it? Can we lay down our opinions to reach out in love? Can we put aside our own agendas to lend a helping hand? Can we forgive, be vulnerable and trust? Yes, I think we can and I think we should.
And here's why...
No matter how long the time period or the geographical location, when we choose to live in community, to live & love the way Jesus did, we make a deposit in eternity. Don't let fear or insecurities hold you back. Don't let preconceived notions or just plain busyness tie you down. The purpose of the roots is to grow the tree tall into the vast expanse of sky. Thirty years or thirty minutes are a simple breath here on earth allowing us to grow tall in the fullness of eternity.
Change your, "I've got this" into a "We've got this."
*Ecclesiastes 4:9-12
