"One of the marvelous things about community is that it enables us to welcome and help people in a way we couldn't as individuals. When we pool our strength and share the work and responsibility, we can welcome many people, even those in deep distress."
- Jean Vanier
Point To Ponder: Was there a time in your life where your neighbors and or community lifted you up out of a difficult situation?
"For the purposes of growth, gaining wisdom, maintaining a spirit of curiosity, the question I'm asking myself daily is: "What have I learned?" Throughout the past week, this is what I've learned:
As we all witnessed on television, Texas just endured a brutal winter storm, which included all of my family and lots of friends. This was unlike anything any of them had lived through and being on the outside looking in and completely helpless, was devastating. There was nothing those of us could do, expect pray and check-in and pray and check-in. So, as I checked in, what I learned was as terrible as the situation was and as much as it sucked (because it did), community and neighborly love was at its very best, as was bravery, strength and resiliency.
As I thought more about it, I also thought about the difficult times all of us have endured and the one thing that continues to stand out is: the human spirit is strong, resilient, gritty and can endure more than we think or want to at times. And most importantly, being in community with others as well as neighborly love IS the solution. For better for worse, for richer for poorer, in sickness and health and in good times or bad, community and neighborly love is timeless and never ceases to amaze.
"Essential" is a word that's been used a lot throughout the past year, and yes, having power, heat and water are essential, but the way I see it is, if there's anything that is truly essential, it's community and neighborly love. You continuously prove that you/we can endure in hard and very scary conditions, but take community and neighborly love out of the equation and there is no enduring. Ultimately, there is no substitute for the strength and power of WE: community and neighborly love. There is nothing better and nothing more essential.
Love,
Action Item: If you are needing a pick-me-up, reach out to friend or neighbor and let them lift you up. Or, if you know someone who is struggling and you are unsure if you should reach out to them or not, we definitely think you should.