There was a day when we lived in a nation under God, when people lived in true community together, bearing each others burdens, when stay-at-home moms was valued and moms lived life with other moms in the neighborhood, when family time around the dinner table was valued, when church on Sunday was a priority not an afterthought, and now it's all considered 'old-fashioned' and we're living in a different day.
There's a reason all those things were valued, because God designed family and our nation was built on family and community.
Well, that family is being broken up. That community is being watered down.
God had a design for living in true community with others and our sense of community pales in comparison to God's design.
We go to church on a Sunday, see a friend couple times in a month and call it community. We go on with our "oh so busy" weeks and don't create space for what's important and the things we value.
There's a reason all those things were valued, because God designed family and our nation was built on family and community.
Well, that family is being broken up. That community is being watered down.
God had a design for living in true community with others and our sense of community pales in comparison to God's design.
We go to church on a Sunday, see a friend couple times in a month and call it community. We go on with our "oh so busy" weeks and don't create space for what's important and the things we value.
There was a day when we could ask our moms, aunties, sisters and other moms our questions and have support through our day, now we sadly rely on facebook pages for support. Social media may be a nice convenient addition to our lives but it also creates MORE isolation. We think we're connected to other women, but my dear friend, that is not community, reading my blog is not community, sending a facebook message is not community. Hopefully, it's encouraging to read my blog and it's thoughtful to send a message to a friend but when we're all locked in our own houses, selfishly doing our own thing then something is wrong.
When "everything else" in our busy week is more important than an hour with a friend over coffee then something is wrong.
When we use the word "busy" multiple times in our daily vocabulary as an excuse for not spending time with people then something is wrong.
When "everything else" in our busy week is more important than an hour with a friend over coffee then something is wrong.
When we use the word "busy" multiple times in our daily vocabulary as an excuse for not spending time with people then something is wrong.
TRUE community is when a group of people are DOING LIFE together.
We have to create space for spending time with God if we value knowing him.
We have to make time for people if we value living in community.
There was a time in my life when I was working full time, buzzing around finishing paperwork, running off to volunteer at youth group, squeezing in a meeting, grabbing dinner on the go, spending too much money on coffee, that I was too exhausted to spend quality time with my fiancee (at the time) and definitely no energy left to invite friends over. Throughout the Bible, community is taught, Jesus modeled living in community and something in my life had to give. A month would go by before I could spend an hour with a girlfriend or a week would become a blur before I thought about reaching out to the one of the girls in the youth group.
What was I even volunteering for if I didn't have time for the girls? What was I even busy doing? Was it even important?
We've intentionally made changes in our lives since then (and got married) so we could strive for Biblical community and create space for what truly matters. Here's how my week looks as an example and I'm far from perfect, but I'm striving and it can always improve:
Mondays: stay home, relax with Asher, MOPS every other, lead a Bible study every week
Tuesdays: grocery shopping, something fun with Asher, meet a friend
Wednesdays: stay home, clean, laundry, play with Asher, have a friend over
Thursdays: outing with Asher, meet a friend
Fridays: open for whatever during the day, family time at night
Weekends: family time and time with friends, Church every week, nap Sunday afternoons
**I've intentionally built in a lot of time for people and built my life around God, my husband, my son, church and friends, but that doesn't mean friends are always open those days.
**stay home days I blog, read, plan a party/showers, craft, cook meals, think how I can love my husband more when he gets home from work, listen to podcasts, go for walks, journal, call a friend, breath and relax, spend time in God's word, pray for friends; my life never has to be dull or boring.
We leave every night open (accept Mondays) for people to join us for dinner if they want. Our home is ALWAYS open and we mean that as long as we're home. We literally made time and created space so our lives were welcoming to people coming over. My life now is setup so I have the mental space to think and pray, I have the energy to give to people, and all the love I have to give to my family. I can spend time with God during Asher's nap times and be refreshed daily if a girlfriend wants to come have coffee or a friend needs support. I'm no longer buzzing here and there or using the word busy.
I'm free and happy and it feels good.
Life is chaotic enough, my home life doesn't need to be in chaos.
I'm striving to discover the true beauty in life and I have found lots of beauty in being a wife, a mother, and a friend. I've done a lot of the chaos of life; school, work, success, busyness and haven't found much beauty in it at all. Those things are important but they don't truly matter in the end.
Time with God daily is important to us, family is first but more than anything we value people and we are striving to build a life that is free and available to help friends as needed and enjoy friends as often as we can. I have time to plan baby showers, practice hospitality, and I never have to tell a friend I'm too busy for them.
I am fighting for family. I am fighting for dinner around the table. I am fighting to stay home with my kids. I am fighting to make time for what's important. I am fighting for community with others. If anything else takes away from those things then it's not important to me.
What do you value?
What's important to you?
What are you fighting for?
We have to create space for spending time with God if we value knowing him.
We have to make time for people if we value living in community.
There was a time in my life when I was working full time, buzzing around finishing paperwork, running off to volunteer at youth group, squeezing in a meeting, grabbing dinner on the go, spending too much money on coffee, that I was too exhausted to spend quality time with my fiancee (at the time) and definitely no energy left to invite friends over. Throughout the Bible, community is taught, Jesus modeled living in community and something in my life had to give. A month would go by before I could spend an hour with a girlfriend or a week would become a blur before I thought about reaching out to the one of the girls in the youth group.
What was I even volunteering for if I didn't have time for the girls? What was I even busy doing? Was it even important?
We've intentionally made changes in our lives since then (and got married) so we could strive for Biblical community and create space for what truly matters. Here's how my week looks as an example and I'm far from perfect, but I'm striving and it can always improve:
Mondays: stay home, relax with Asher, MOPS every other, lead a Bible study every week
Tuesdays: grocery shopping, something fun with Asher, meet a friend
Wednesdays: stay home, clean, laundry, play with Asher, have a friend over
Thursdays: outing with Asher, meet a friend
Fridays: open for whatever during the day, family time at night
Weekends: family time and time with friends, Church every week, nap Sunday afternoons
**I've intentionally built in a lot of time for people and built my life around God, my husband, my son, church and friends, but that doesn't mean friends are always open those days.
**stay home days I blog, read, plan a party/showers, craft, cook meals, think how I can love my husband more when he gets home from work, listen to podcasts, go for walks, journal, call a friend, breath and relax, spend time in God's word, pray for friends; my life never has to be dull or boring.
We leave every night open (accept Mondays) for people to join us for dinner if they want. Our home is ALWAYS open and we mean that as long as we're home. We literally made time and created space so our lives were welcoming to people coming over. My life now is setup so I have the mental space to think and pray, I have the energy to give to people, and all the love I have to give to my family. I can spend time with God during Asher's nap times and be refreshed daily if a girlfriend wants to come have coffee or a friend needs support. I'm no longer buzzing here and there or using the word busy.
I'm free and happy and it feels good.
Life is chaotic enough, my home life doesn't need to be in chaos.
I'm striving to discover the true beauty in life and I have found lots of beauty in being a wife, a mother, and a friend. I've done a lot of the chaos of life; school, work, success, busyness and haven't found much beauty in it at all. Those things are important but they don't truly matter in the end.
Time with God daily is important to us, family is first but more than anything we value people and we are striving to build a life that is free and available to help friends as needed and enjoy friends as often as we can. I have time to plan baby showers, practice hospitality, and I never have to tell a friend I'm too busy for them.
I am fighting for family. I am fighting for dinner around the table. I am fighting to stay home with my kids. I am fighting to make time for what's important. I am fighting for community with others. If anything else takes away from those things then it's not important to me.
What do you value?
What's important to you?
What are you fighting for?
No comments:
Post a Comment