For many years, I have believed that God impressed upon me a love of certain lands. I believed that He used the beauty of his creation to bring me places, to tempt me into staying in certain locations. In recent teachings I have heard talk of ‘soul ties’ usually in reference to other people. But I always believed that God tied my soul first to the land, and then to the people there.
I have truly loved living in New Hampshire, in Vermont, in Colorado, and after this summer, Montana. The beauty in nature that abounds in each of those places is awe-inspiring. But Georgia is different. I don’t know if it is the region in which I am living, or if I have just seen so much beauty elsewhere; the land in Georgia will not leave an imprint on my soul when I leave. But the people I have encountered here will forever be in my heart.
One of my squadmates recently referred to the World Race and the AIM community as a fraternity, and while I think he is onto something there, I typically think of fraternities and sororities as being exclusive groups. AIM is intentionally inclusive. I think of it as more of a special kind of community. It isn’t even confined to a single location; there are people in Gainesville, GA, in Colorado Springs, CO, and all over the world. AIM is a community of people who pray together, work together, play together, eat together and strive to grow their faith together. It is a community that mourns together and that celebrates together. When one member of the community is struggling, the others are there to help, whether it is offering to bring dinner to someone who is ill, or praying and counseling someone through a rough time.
This kind of community goes beyond friendships, beyond neighborhoods. It is more than being a part of a church. It is being church. It is a new kind of lifestyle. To be intentional, to be inclusive, to make a concerted effort at every turn to exhibit Christ-like qualities. And this is a safe place. Because we all screw up at some point. We make a statement or an off hand comment that bothers someone. But in this kind of community, forgiveness is frequent and judgment is rare. I have found this is true, not just with AIM, but with the church I have been attending here. I can tell my friends in small group details about my life that most people don’t know. And they don’t hold anything against me.
