Last week Elijah was in the middle of a feisty stretch. After the third day of pouting, spontaneous and
irrational melt downs, and consistent huffing and puffing, I sat down with him
on the side of the playground, and wearily asked, “Elijah, what is wrong? Why are you so mad?” He responded, equally weary, “I just miss my friends, not new friends,
my old friends, that I know!” I could
see the longing in his little face, for the people he knows, for the people that know
him, and have loved him so well, for the only home and community he has
ever known.
Looking into his sad blue eyes, I saw something familiar. My
own longing, my own heartache. In
theory, heading off into an urban adventure seems ideal. You have the luxury of
only considering the benefits of it all. Being here this summer has been
wonderful in so many ways, but as reality settles in and month two continues,
in Elijah’s words, “I just want my
friends!”
Rewind with me for a moment…When our twin daughters were
born, we were so desperate for help, we were plunged into community more deeply
than ever before. It felt at times that our doors were revolving. Our home was
so filled with love and care, prayer, encouragement, and support so
consistently, from so many people. In
the midst of greatly needing our church family, God gave me a deeper
understanding of how imperative it is that we live in this life together. We
need each other and when we try to live separate from one another, not allowing
our needs to be seen, or taking an interest in others, we cannot function as we
were created to. Having been thrust fully into the arms of our church, and now
being away, it feels as if my heart is not quite intact.
So what is the answer? Never leave New Richmond? Leave, but
stop feeling? As I have been praying and processing through this, I can’t help
but consider the many times that the writers of the New Testament books of the
bible expressed the deep pain of separation, as they moved from place to place,
leaving the sweet community they had built
to go share the good news of Jesus. So
what is the purpose of community? To settle into a safe, encouraging,
comfortable corner of the world? Or is it for something bigger than our
comfort? When Ephesians 3:17-19 talks
about being “rooted and established in love, together with all the saints,” a
significant implication of this is that we would know this love in such a
consuming way, that it would pour out onto others. That we would expand our
circles of influence so that increasingly the world would know that God is
good, that he actively loves us, and is engaged in the smallest and biggest
details of our lives, that he is our Savior, our hope and the very reason that
we live.
Though I often long for home, I am so grateful for the
opportunity this summer, to experience and learn about this beautiful city, to
together with my amazing husband, seek out what God might be calling our family
to. God has shown us incredible grace in our time here. Multiple pastors,
leaders and individuals in this area have sacrificed their time, energy and
resources to generously and genuinely invest in our family, helping us to
determine what God might have for us here. This has truly been a gift and an encouragement.
Wherever God has us, whatever he calls us to do, he is worthy and he is enough.
Dearly loved friends, we thank you for your love, prayer, encouragement
and support whether at home or away. We pray, that together, we would all know
more and more how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ. That
we would know his great love for us so well that we would trust him and surrender
every area of our lives, joyfully, freely running whole-heartedly, after
him. Our creator, our savior, our redeemer,
our sustainer, our perfect, ever- present love!
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