As Intended

I just returned this weekend from Residential 2 of my Arrow Leadership Training Course.  I am being impacted by this two year course. It really is a journey (I know journey is an overused, cliche word, but it really fits the bill).  As we met together on beautiful Keats Island off of British Columbia's gorgeous Pacific coast, we began doing community.  Not just learning it - actually doing it.  
I've always lived in community. I've never had my own place.  I often take for granted that that is not the common way of life. I often take for granted that the people the Lord has surrounded me with are ones who invest, cheer and inspire me on.  I have my own little fan club.  Last week, I heard from my 20 other colleagues how rare that is to have a fan club.  I heard heavy and lonely hearts hungry for community.
I realize I live a bizarre life in some ways. I do things that are strange. I'm ok with that.  I'm the only one that has been called to my life.  One of the areas that I am called to in my life is community. And I'm NOT the only one called to that. All of us as Christ Followers are called to that. Though I do think the Lord has called me to a pretty extreme sense of the word. I want to spend the rest of my life building bridges with people.  From the person at the cash register in Loblaws who is really having a hard day - God help me to build a bridge rather than burn it. To my new friends at Arrow who are struggling (like me) to do ministry well and need community to lean on.  I want to be a bridge builder. 
I am emotional just thinking of how much we miss out on when we choose not to do community. When we are not intentional to seek it out, to build it, and most challenging to invest in it, we miss out on the whole purpose of the Body of Christ.  We've been called to community.  It's as the Lord intended. And it sure is beautiful when we allow the Lord to build His church within us and through us.  
For those of you reading this (including my Arrow buddies), I count it an honour to do life with you...You bring me joy!