Most of my life I have found pride in the fact that I didn’t NEED anyone but Jesus. Friends and family have always been great and exciting to have around, but when it all comes down to it, I didn’t NEED them. Eleven months on the World Race of continuous pride swallowing, dying to self, and placing others before me has altered my opinion quite drastically! Ask any world racer what they learned the most about this year and how they learned it and the resounding answer will be the word: COMMUNITY. Ask any world race alum what they miss most and again you will hear the word: COMMUNITY! Project Searchlight was an amazing two weeks back in community;
it was a time of encouragement, challenge, and praying together to help figure out what the next step looks like. For me, it was another big gulp of pride swallowing. Even after a year of amazing community, I found myself with an action plan full of DOING after the first few days of Searchlight. The plan covered the next year and half of my life, and was filled with one “good thing” after another. Every step was getting me closer to my big Kingdom Dream and honestly I was excited to have some sort of plan formulated. However my world was wrecked and my pride swallowed yet again half way through Project Searchlight. Four or five people spoke one current theme into my life and the Lord used it to get my attention. The theme said best by Mama Carol was this: “You BECOME like WHO you are around.”
Moral of the story is we were made for community: 1. We were made in the image of a communal, triune God. 2. In Genesis 2:18 God immediately says “It is not good for man to be alone…” and 3. Some of the last words Jesus spoke in John 17 were for our unity, “that we may be one, just as He and the Father are one.” The New Testament is full of “one another” passages:
– Love one another (John 13:34, 15:12)
– Confess to one another (James 5:16)
– Live in harmony with one another (Romans 12:16)
– Be honest with one another (Colossians 3:9)
– Encourage one another (1 Thessalonians 5:11)
– Serve one another (John 13:1-20; Galatians 5:13)
– Bear one another’s burdens (Galatians 6:2)
– Forgive one another (Ephesians 4:32) 
– Submit to one another (Ephesians 5:21)
– Pray for one another (James 5:16)
– Comfort one another (2 Corinthians 13:11)
– Outdo one another in showing honor (Romans 12)
Obviously we were not created to walk this path alone!!
My beautiful plan was shattered as I realized I learned more about myself, God, and living a life for Him through the past 11 months of community living than all 13 years of Christian Private School education combined. I am grateful for the years of school studying the Bible everyday, the Christian camps I went to all through childhood, and the amazing churches I have gotten to be a part of as they all prepared me beautifully for this past year. However, I now know what true Biblical community looks like and I am stifled without it.
In saying all of this, my “plan” changed from lots of doing to a need for being in a community where I will be encouraged and can encourage, challenged and able to challenge, sharpened and used to sharpen. I have no idea where this community is yet, but am currently in the researching and experimentation phase of finding it. My prayer is that the Lord will open doors where He desires for me to be and close the ones that aren’t the right fit. I am seeking Him daily, desiring to hear His voice, and praying for constant clarity and 
patience!
patience! **End of Blog**
Personal Application:
– I have a few friends in the Denver, Colorado area and that is really the only lead I have and am currently chasing. My plan is to go visit within the next couple months as well as apply and look in to some jobs or schooling in the area and just see if it could be a fit. If any of you have connections in that area that you would like to pass on, I would greatly appreciate it.
– I will be at home in Montgomery, Alabama for the month of February and would love to babysit, help out, or just hang out with anyone in the area.
– My mom and I are still planning on going to Haiti from February 28th to March 4th and are excited to see how the Lord will use us there.
– Stay tuned for a few more blogs as I continue to close out this season of my life and leap into the next one!
