I have definitely struggled this month letting go of my physical comforts (my daily showers, air conditioning, my clothing, sleep schedule, pretty much every freedom I had in The States) but I have found true raw and authentic community.
Community has had several different meanings throughout my life. I grew up in a small town finding the thrill of life in the simplest of forms.
After graduating and deepening my roots in Kentucky I found value in intentional relationships. You know, those friendships that would never normally make sense but somehow they give life to one another.
I found, community is about stepping out and sharing my talents and truly investing into others around me while I was a Life Enrichment Director.
My team visits the villages outside of Ongole each evening. As an outsider looking into village life it looks simple. But simple doesn’t seem to fit because they have only the vital necessities, that life is far from simple. They have such an openness, they don’t hide behind doors (there aren’t any). Letting people see the imperfections helps others to realize they don’t struggle alone.
There has been a true sense of security and safety
I carried a three year old through the village as we prayed never seeing her mother, until dusk when she appeared and took her.
Joy fills the village as children run and play giggling taking snacks and water from the house down the street. The village women come together each evening to prepare a meal for us, cooking over a small fire on the ground outside the church. As they serve us, smiles and laughter break from their faces.
A month in India has radically transformed my view of community. It doesn’t matter what you have or what you don’t have. In a community people come together collaboratively to provide for one another’s needs because in that everyone is taken care of. Each person plays a significant role.
Even in my small town mentality it’s hard to fully understand that and live in that sacrificial love unless you completely see the beauty and life that exudes from people living from that place.
