"They
devoted themselves to the apostles teaching and to the fellowship, to the
breaking of bread and to prayer." Acts 2:42
My church
has something called LifeGroups. LifeGroups are small groups that meet in homes
during the week to discuss different Biblical topics. My particular group meets
to discuss our read through the Bible in a year plan. I'm in the only "kid
friendly" LifeGroup and this year there has been a surge in attendance.
All together we have twenty-four attending with twelve kids, six of whom who are
three or younger. Add in the fact that we also share dinner together and the
scene starts to look more like a crazy extended family visiting during the
holidays than a weekly Bible study discussion group.
This past week we were trying to discuss Ezekiel and Amos
which makes for a somewhat deep discussion, when the commotion from the little
ones was just too much for us to continue. Typically the older ones are able to
play together in an adjoining playroom with the babies crawling or toddling
around entertaining themselves with a collection of toys piled in the middle of
the floor with the adults looking on. This particular night though someone was
chasing someone who didn't want to be chased, someone kept crawling into a not-
so- safe dark area behind the sofa, pacifiers and sippies were being stolen
left and right, and hair was being pulled. Crying and yelling continued despite
one of the adults trying to corral the kids into the other room.
We couldn't even hear one another across the room trying to
talk about our readings for the week. Before we gave up entirely though we
began to reminisce, loudly I might add, about how far we had come as a group.
We talked about how we had continued meeting despite tons of collective life
changes like career changes and babies being born. At times continuing to meet
had become a sacrifice. It would have been easier to have given up and to have
quit a long time ago allowing our busy lives to take over. In spite of all that
we have made this time a priority, and we have continued to build our
relationships with one another through the years.
Authentic community the
way that God intended is only reached through a commitment to one another which
includes sacrifice. We have to sacrifice in order for the blessings to freely
flow. I have to admit that there have been times over the years when I have
wondered if it was really worth it. Times when the events of the day steal all
my energy and I don't think I have anything left to give, times when the kids are running crazy excited
to see one another, and more recently times when it is difficult to complete the
reading plan for the week. Those minor inconveniences are soon chased away by
the realization that this is what true community looks like, everyone coming
together to do life together with all of that mess and realness with the Lord
as the center of it all.
