I read over a blog of mine from 2 1/2 years ago today. It’s hard to believe how quickly that time has passed! As I prepare to leave Nicaragua, I’m doing a lot of reflecting. I’m thinking over life-changing experiences of the past few years since I really started this journey. I’m considering community and the part it’s played. I’m thinking about the pilgrimage God has me on and wondering if I’ve stepped up to the plate and swung my hardest.
At the beginning, it was much easier. I struggled thru my faith a bit at times on the World Race, but there were people who were going thru similar things and we were together in them. We seldom knew what to do, but there was a love there. A sacred love, almost of family – of community. I liken it to going thru a battle with someone. Sure, I’ve never carried a gun and fought for my country, and I certainly cannot appreciate the camaraderie of a group of men like those in Saving Private Ryan. However, when I consider the relationship I maintain with guys like Aaron Bruner, who have been there with me thru many of our lives’ most impacting moments, I can’t think of a better comparison.
That’s the beauty of community. It helps us to carry on. It draws out our crap and we deal with it together. The only problem for me, I think, is reproducing this. I started out in a pretty intense form of community. We were well-directed, all of us were very hungry, we shared close living quarters and intense experiences like this one. Now that that’s past, I’m either sometimes living in the past or dreaming up the future. It’s been difficult recently to dedicate my attention to now.
Weak swinging is stupid. It’s only difficult because I let it be that way.
I read Tuesdays with Morrie last summer. I liked it pretty well and thought it did a wonderful job helping me to focus on appreciating where I am now.
Dreaming is awesome… I love it. I try to dedicate 30 minutes per day to dreaming up new ideas and developing them. It’s a discipline, but it comes easily once I take that first step. The thing with dreaming is, though, that it’s all about stuff that someday may be. When 30 minutes is up, it’s back to now… back to giving, serving, loving, dying, trusting, and giving some more. Swinging harder, with greater focus and confidence.
Community is so great. If I ever swing weak, everyone knows. There’s no hiding. And vice versa… they are always there to cheer when anyone hits a home run. Community is my greatest critic and my faithful friend. It calls me to greatness. I think I’ll make certain to live, as best I can, in intense community all of my life.
More to come soon on community and dealing with crap.
