comb eunit tea

i was at a community garden down in the airport district-- one place where we do the "bread line" on thursday. it was ONE DAY, a coming together of high school church groups doing service projects all over our fair Modesto. we were doing some hardcore "maintenance" work with Chris, Aaron and our ONE youth student James (that's what ONE DAY meant, right?) with another church, Laloma Grace Brethren. it was cool, it was hard, it was awesome, and it was beautiful coming together in the Lord.

oh, and Calvary Temple (i think) was there also, doing their own thing, which was also awesome. they had some people handing out food, others playing games and some guy talking to a group of the kids over a PA system.

the man said something that struck some kind of chord in me. he was talking to the kids about their "bad" friends. you know, the ones that want u to do bad things with them. there was such an emphasis on doing the right thing, despite ur bad friends (which is an important thing to live by). he was saying that your walk with Christ is up to you to live out, "despite your friends."

it got me to thinking about my past and how and why i am where i am. yes, i needed to go against the flow of my druggie friends (really, i had to drop them, which i did). but what took so long for me to "go against the flow"? b/c that was the focus. "drop your bad friends and do what you need to do." how come i couldnt?

i had people supporting me in my growth, telling me what i should and shouldn't do, to do or not do these things despite my feelings, despite my friends. but nothing happened; nothing changed. nothing happened until i had other friends, if u will (i did!).

COMMUNITY! this is the very exact precise specific reason that the Body of Christ is more than just a Spiritual Body. people, man. people. we need people. "no man's an island," right? how much more true is that than in the hardest, but most fulfilling, path than the Way?

we're reminded that "a chain is as strong as its weakest link." i say, "you're as strong as your community." think about it. when i'm struggling with sin, i confess it and am encouraged and guided through it. when i'm hurting, i got people to pour my heart out to. when i'm excited, i got people to share it with. when i'm lost, i got people who care to set me straight. I'M NEVER ALONE. that's all there is to it.

the difference between then and way back then is community! in the past, i got encouraging words, a few free lunches, all that. but when i had people walking side-by-side with me on a daily (or nearly so) basis, i started to live life the way it was supposed to be lived. i had a reason to live! i had people who cared about me and people i cared to live with (that's nothing against the family and friends that were there for me before, it's just how it was, how i was feeling).

have u read that Scripture where Christ is saying, in not so many words (well, more, i think), that "if you leave everything u have (family, friends, possessions, jobs, life) I will give you all that 100 times over now and later (Heaven, ah yeah!)." if you are willing to leave your worldly relationships God will bless you with REAL relationships! He will teach you how to truly love and live with people, in all its difficult-ass transparency (Waka, waka). i've got closer friends than i've ever had. i'm closer to my family than i've ever been. I CARE ABOUT PEOPLE. yeah, me. i know. crazy.

anyway, i lost my train of thought, or inspiration, or whatever, so that's that for now. this deserves more attention than i'm giving it, but yeah. you're as strong as your community. dive in. fall in love with the blessing of people around you! pour out your heart and receive theirs! live the way we were supposed to, in right relationship with God and with each other.