Community
I've been thinking a lot about community lately. today i was talking to a friend that admitted she's been struggling a TON with depression, and she told me about her bil and sil who just split up cuz he beat the crap out of their dd. *sigh* i wonder...if they were involved more in community, would it get so bad? i know people dont do everything for others-but there is something about that connection that we all need-and when we arent getting it, and dont even know we're missing it----what then? i think that's what hurt a ton about leaving the church we went to for 7 years-through a series of circumstances, we realized that 1/2 the people at this small church we didnt even REALLY know!!! at all. sure they were nice. sure we smiled and said hi and even maybe hugged-but when it came right down to it, they agreed with a man who compared women in leadership to satan-DOH! wait...back up...you AGREE!!! yes...so, we left. there wasnt community-knowing!

it's weird to me to think about God-perfect and all-creating us for relationship with Him. like, He had everything, without a bunch of headaches, and we come along-and He loves so tenderly-like babies and children...so tenderly does He love us. i cant get my mind around it! and he wanted relationship (and im saying "he" sort of loosely, in a way, well aware that both men women are created in the image of God...) so badly...and so do we, created in that image.

anyways, my folks in northern california are working at creating some cool community of believers. it absolutely KILLS me to not be up there and part of it-even when it's messy....like when someone was maybe going to kill them (seriously!!!) or when someone else was finally caught abusing their own daughter (yup-messy) and yet...they are working at creating community with all broken, healing people...i WANT IT!!! and i ask myself and my dh, how do we do it here, in southern utah? it seems absolutely impossible! and yet, there's my friend, lonely, overwhelmed-needing community!

ive lived as part of a community-communal living-when i was 16-18. it was AWESOME and stinkingly hard, too. but more awesome and i look back fondly, and longingly, for it. i miss it! *sigh*

well...community. if anyone reads this, what are YOUR thoughts on community?

shalom