Community-ing

"Community" is a word you hear all the time interchangeably: it can be used in regard to a nation, a city, a neighborhood, a group of friends... Different verbs can also be applied to community. You can build, grow, expand, maintain, and improve it. And you can be intertwined with that community to varying degrees.

Lately I've reflected on the different communities I'm involved with, and how much color and texture they add to life. At church, I'm involved in a community through Sunday school, small group, and international student ministry. With friends, it's a wide network of people in close proximity or scattered across the globe. In this city where I currently live, community seems to be defined through my work and volunteering roles.

It's amazing to know someone at just about every place I go. Some people even come up to me and say they know me, although I don't know them. How did I get to be famous? I guess it's by investing in this community and not just taking from it. When you're involved in 500 different activities, you get to know a large proportion of the community--people from all ages and walks of life.

Most likely I won't be living in this specific community after this summer, but I can say that I gave it my all. I truly loved this place, the people, and tried to see this community through God's eyes. And hopefully I'll leave all of those various facets of community a little better off than when I came upon them. And I think this place and these people have also helped change me for the better.

This past week, in particular, I've realized the myriad blessings of community through some interactions: Praying with a dear friend in China over Skype, encouraging someone in my small group, and hearing how what I do in my job is truly helping those who are marginalized, low-income, or struggling.

Yesterday I got to stand out in the freezing cold for two hours at Walmart to tell folks about a service we offer that has a huge financial and social impact in the community. There was a man and his wife who were waiting in front of Walmart as we set up our table. He had read about us in the newspaper and came out just to talk to us about the program. They looked so weary and worn-out from life. I wanted to give them a hug. That's when I realized that what I do matters--we are helping people in real, tangible ways that help people keep their homes, feed their families, and keep their jobs.

Here's another story published today in our local newspaper about the event, after the editor came out to interview us. You have to be a subscriber to read the online part, but I can quote some of the key parts. :)

"Free tax help to be offered at 10 sites"

Never was a person more aptly named for a job than Laura Freeze. Then it goes on to explain how I and other representatives from various local nonprofits and the IRS were out in the 22 degree cold telling folks about the Free Community Tax Service and other financial stability initiatives. Freeze, her cheeks bright pink from the cold, was wearing long underwear, thick mittens and insulated boots. “My face is feeling a little frozen, but there’s a lot of good energy out here,” she said with a smile. Then the story goes on to interview others. It just warmed my heart, even though we were so cold and my face looked like a cherry tomato!!

But these efforts of being involved in community would be all for naught if they weren't done in love and for His glory. Each bitterly cold morning, I roll out of bed with a prayer already on my lips: "God, please give me your strength for today. Let whatever I say or do be all for your name's sake!"

That reminds me of what David Jeremiah said recently:

Most of our worries involve a fear of insufficiency. We're afraid we're not good enough as parents or providers or Christians or whatever. Or we're concerned we don't have enough, whether food or money or health or strength. When we think of ourselves as the source of our own sufficiency, we have reason to worry and be concerned. But as Christians, our sufficiency is from God. "And God is able to make all grace abound toward you, that you, always having all sufficiency in all things, may have an abundance for every good work" (2 Corinthians 9:8). His grace is sufficient for us (2 Corinthians 12:9).


Here are a few "community" pictures of late:

Had international friends over for dinner.

Love the look of sheer delight on their faces while we played "Guesstures."

Aw, young lovers...

A variety of folks helping me talk about the Free Community Tax Service.

Frozen, but content.