After weeks of quarantine and finishing homeschool, we decided it was time for a vacation and a trip across the country. So I have been offline for three weeks. I didn’t know when we left what was coming and that it would be probably the worst time to take a break from social media and blogging.
Our Growth Group
They say a picture is worth a thousand words. This picture at this time feels that way. This picture was taken at our house back in September. Every Tuesday night (aside from COVID), this group meets at our house. It’s our growth group or small group. We started as strangers and have become a group of tightly-knit friends. We have had candid discussions about so many topics. We’ve had good times as a group and endured losses as a group.
In this group, we have lost two grandpas, two dads, a mom, an uncle, and a baby. We have walked through those hard times together. We’ve listened and prayed for each other as we’ve lost jobs, changed jobs, and experienced hardships. We’ve also celebrated the birth of two babies, new jobs, new homes, new businesses, book launches, birthday parties, and so much more together.
We are a mixed group of black and white who are simply choosing to do life together and loving every minute of it!
Life Is Messy
Life isn’t always neat and clean. It’s messy. I think that has never been clearer than in times like these. We want our lives to be a neat picture where everything makes sense and looks good, but that’s not reality. The reality is that life is hard. It’s confusing and absolutely heartbreaking at times.
We live in a broken world with broken, sinful people. We can focus on all the evil and wrongdoing around us and be discouraged, disillusioned, and disheartened. Or we can choose to do what we can to make this world a better place.
Love is Still the Answer
We can choose to love others the way we want to be loved. Jesus told his disciples a simple truth that still rings true today. Jesus told his disciples, “People will know you are a follower of Me when you choose to love other people.”
“Let me give you a new command: Love one another. In the same way, I loved you, you love one another. This is how everyone will recognize that you are my disciples—when they see the love you have for each other.” John 13:34,35 MSG
If all of us would choose to simply love those around us, we could do our part to bring change. Loving those around us includes our neighbors, the mailman and garbage guys, the post office and grocery clerks, the employees at the local fast-food restaurants, people in our church, our family, and friends. We must simply choose to love all the people we do life with regardless of skin color, ethnicity, or socio-economic standing.
Does that fix everything, no. But it would be a start in the right direction!
Matt’s Message
My husband, Matt preached a message two Sundays ago that was all about this topic. He does such a better job of addressing the issue than I do. You can listen to that message HERE.
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