Community

So, I feel like God's been hitting me over the head lately with the concept of community. It's quite the buzz word of late and because of our transient life circumstance right now, it seems that Ben and I are constantly considering community as it relates to the choices we make.

I feel like it's the beginning of the end of life as we know it - friends are starting to move away, I'm terminating with clients, goodbyes are so rampant you can't go anywhere without stepping in a big pile of it. Which is probably why I've been thinking about the day when we'll say goodbye to SoCal. Part of me wants to make a preemptive strike on all these goodbyes and just leave sooner rather than later. After all, it's easier to be the one doing the leaving than to be the one left behind. So, I've been entertaining the idea of doing my pre-internship somewhere besides L.A...San Francisco, perhaps. Ben and I know we wouldn't want to live there, but it might be a fun adventure for a year. Then we can move on to wherever my internship will be (today we want to end up in Colorado - tomorrow might be another story). But for all the benefits and positive things about moving away a year early and spending time in a new environment, there are a lot of sacrifices involved. Clearly, an extra move is going to cost some moola. And San Fran isn't exactly cheap. But what weighs on us most is ... you guessed it ... losing our community. Friends from school, friends from church, friends from other corners of our worlds -we would have to say goodbye to all of them.

I really feel like this chapter in our life is such a unique and special time that will never be replicated - we will never have these kinds of experiences with these amazing kinds of people again. I am incredibly blessed in my relationships right now - beyond words. So, the thought of giving that up just to avoid the heartache of watching people leave...I don't know...

What I do know, is that the other night at bible study when I was asked the question, "What does confession within the context of community look like," this is what I pictured:

My prayer group. Over the last three years it has morphed from an early morning weekly meeting centered on prayer to a bi-weekly dinner that lasts into the wee hours and centers on...well, life. Part career counseling, group therapy, recipe-testing, story-telling, and confession - this group has been a Godsend for me. We've been through engagements, weddings, promotions, deeply personal struggles, and deaths. Through the good and bad, these ladies have served as a constant source of strength, encouragement, and hope for me. I love them. How can I rob myself of an extra year with them?

Goodbyes suck. Having to make difficult decisions suck. When did life get so complicated?