Restoring Brokeness and Community

As many people know I am very passionate about community,
and well again as I write I know that in advance that I’m going to hit on the
issue of community and its role in our walk as Christians. Right now I’m reading a book entitled Restoring
Broken Things by Chapman and
Smith. It talks about God’s desire
and intention to restore that which is broken, primarily us, sinful
humans. In the early part of their
book they make a statement that I’ve found elsewhere and heard a couple of
times recently, they state ”The Bible tells a story of personal,
not privatized blessing.” In writing this they are basically
reminding the reader that their interaction and role in the greater story of
God’s working and in the individual stories of others is important. We aren’t isolated individuals but
instead are called to make an impact and difference on those around us. So I guess now the passion
for community that God has given me makes more sense.

God wants us to interact, to care for each other, to love
each other. In many ways God is
calling us to be Jesus with skin on to those we encounter. We can’t make this walk of life
alone. We need the support, the
love, the correction and guidance of those around us. I know that I often feel inadequate to help those around me
who are in the middle of struggles, battles and devastating life issues. But God and the Holy Spirit will guide
our words and will translate them to the person who is need.

I know that often its hard to develop community and
relationship with others because of our own fears and desires to remain
isolated and not put on a front.
But I believe that it is important to jump into community. To open our doors, our lives and our
pain to others. As I sit here in a
Panera Bread in Columbus I think of the importance of Family. It’s a time of pain and unknown futures
as my wife’s grandfather goes into surgery this evening. But one thing I know is that to me
family is important, maybe a bit more than friends and those in my community
around me. But I know that we have
people praying for us who are parts of different communities around the
country. I know that I
need to start to see my Christian community as family. As people who I will give up things
for, who I will give my time to, and who I will care for, even if there aren’t
necessarily common interests. As
we love family because they are family so we need to love those around us just
because they are there!

I enter today not knowing what the next 24 hours will
bring. I want to be the strong one
for my wife and her family. I
don’t claim to have the answers or knowledge of what to say. But I will be here with my presence, I
will allow my self to be a vessel of God’s love, His power, and just be.

To be part of community means to sacrifice, to love the
unlovable, and to just be! I know
that I need to learn this lesson more and more as there are people who I have
been hurt by and have refused to talk to them, have turned my back on any
chance of God redeeming the relationship, and even to the point of being hurt
each and every time that I see them.
I want to step more and more into God’s story of restoring that which is
broken. I want Him to restore me
more and more so that He can use me to make an impact where I am.

Off I go into the unknown. May God bless
all those who I encounter today.
May he restore that which is broken. And may I be sensitive and open to His movement an
prodding.

-tfkr (6/14/06 9:53 AM)