OK, so since my last post my life has most definitely not been fun . . . my uncle died on Sunday night . . . much sooner than we expected or were prepared for (altho' I'm beginning to wonder if you can really ever be prepared for someone to die . . . but that's another rant). Really, that's been mostly what I've been thinking about since then.
This is really the first death of someone close to me and it's a lot harder to deal with than I thought or I think was even willing to admit at first. I mean I may not have been super close with my uncle, but he is family . . . and I was brought up with family being the most important thing in life (second only to God).
But . . . and here we are back to talking about community again . . . I have realized just what incredible friends I have through it all. I really wasn't looking forward to going to Alive on Monday night, but after being home alone all Monday afternoon I knew I needed to get out and see some people. I wasn't really myself and I kept crying just about every time someone talked to me that night. But, I realized how amazing my friends are. The hugs and prayers and everything just made me cry more at the time, but when I got home I realized how much I had needed that from my friends that night.
There again, in my life, was a picture of community in action. Thank you to all of you!
Anyways, I'm not entirely sure what I was writing this post about tonight or anything. I just needed to get some words down and this is where they ended up. Honestly, things aren't all looking good in my life right now . . . I'm still trying to make sense of why this all happened (with my uncle) . . . but I am getting through . . . with the encouragement and love of friends . . . and God.
Wednesday, November 21, 2007
Friday, November 16, 2007
more thinking about community
OK, so two posts in one night . . . after a while of not writing . . . oh well . . .
So, this past week hasn't been particularly easy for me . . . we knew the day was coming when we have to be ready to say good-bye to my uncle, but I don't think any of us were ready for just about being guaranteed that he wouldn't make til Christmas this past week. Needless to say, that has made for a difficult week.
But . . . I have totally seen the beauty of community at work in my own life in this past week as well. I've seen it through my roommates.
As I've tried to come to grips with all that is happening and needed a listening ear or a word of encouragement or someone to pray with me . . . they've done exactly that!
To me, that is a picture of what Christian community should be. A place where we can go with our struggles, our sadness, our joys, our trials, our triumphs and have people who will celebrate with us, grieve with us, and encourage us.
The ideal of Christian community is 100% possible. I have seen it and experienced it this week. It may take work to find it . . . but it does exist!
So, this past week hasn't been particularly easy for me . . . we knew the day was coming when we have to be ready to say good-bye to my uncle, but I don't think any of us were ready for just about being guaranteed that he wouldn't make til Christmas this past week. Needless to say, that has made for a difficult week.
But . . . I have totally seen the beauty of community at work in my own life in this past week as well. I've seen it through my roommates.
As I've tried to come to grips with all that is happening and needed a listening ear or a word of encouragement or someone to pray with me . . . they've done exactly that!
To me, that is a picture of what Christian community should be. A place where we can go with our struggles, our sadness, our joys, our trials, our triumphs and have people who will celebrate with us, grieve with us, and encourage us.
The ideal of Christian community is 100% possible. I have seen it and experienced it this week. It may take work to find it . . . but it does exist!
live every day like it's your last . . .
"Live every day like it's your last, because one day you'll be right."
To be honest, when I first heard/read (I can't remember) that a few years ago I thought it was kind of morbid. It's pointing to the fact that one day our life on this earth will be over.
But, in the past few days, I've been thinking about it in a different way . . . not so much as morbid, but in terms of how I would live if I knew that a particular day was going to be my last one. Some tough family circumstances have started me thinking this way.
I mean, I'm hearing about my uncle dying and he knows that it's happening and has some opportunity to say those things that he needs to say to people and reconcile those relationships that need reconciling. But, not everyone has that opportunity.
It has me thinking about how I would change some of the things I did or didn't do in a day if I knew that it was going to be my last day. The people who I would tell how much they meant to me . . . the people I would say I love you too that I usually don't say that too even tho' I think it . . . the realtionships that I would seek to reconcile . . . the people I would forgive . . . the people I would ask forgiveness from. But, the more I have thought about it, the more I have realized that those are things I should be doing anyways . . . and, yet, I don't. I don't even think about them until I'm in a situation where I am forced to face the reality of death - the death of a family member.
"Live every day like it's your last, beacuse one day you'll be right."
I need to stop putting off the things I need to say and do in my relationships with other people. I need to take advantage of opportunities to serve others. I need to make the best use that I can of everyday that I am granted on this earth, because they are all a gift.
To be honest, when I first heard/read (I can't remember) that a few years ago I thought it was kind of morbid. It's pointing to the fact that one day our life on this earth will be over.
But, in the past few days, I've been thinking about it in a different way . . . not so much as morbid, but in terms of how I would live if I knew that a particular day was going to be my last one. Some tough family circumstances have started me thinking this way.
I mean, I'm hearing about my uncle dying and he knows that it's happening and has some opportunity to say those things that he needs to say to people and reconcile those relationships that need reconciling. But, not everyone has that opportunity.
It has me thinking about how I would change some of the things I did or didn't do in a day if I knew that it was going to be my last day. The people who I would tell how much they meant to me . . . the people I would say I love you too that I usually don't say that too even tho' I think it . . . the realtionships that I would seek to reconcile . . . the people I would forgive . . . the people I would ask forgiveness from. But, the more I have thought about it, the more I have realized that those are things I should be doing anyways . . . and, yet, I don't. I don't even think about them until I'm in a situation where I am forced to face the reality of death - the death of a family member.
"Live every day like it's your last, beacuse one day you'll be right."
I need to stop putting off the things I need to say and do in my relationships with other people. I need to take advantage of opportunities to serve others. I need to make the best use that I can of everyday that I am granted on this earth, because they are all a gift.
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