Community

That's been coming to my mind a lot lately.  Community.  There is such a need of it.  I feel like people (myself included) are searching for community.  Well, maybe not searching for it, but desiring it.

We've been running into this a lot recently in our little world.  I've been craving it for years myself.  Looking for it where ever I could.  I've had a terrible time finding it (I kept catching glimpses of it never feeling a real part of it) but I am finding it now after searching for so long.

I've always wanted to entertain.  Not that I'm good at it or that I have a huge house for it or even that I have a lot to offer but I've always wanted my home to be a place where people wanted to come.  Whether it was kids coming to hang out with my kids or neighbors and friends dropping by for a visit.  I just wanted people to feel comfortable and want to come to our home.

Well, last May I decided I was going to try to have some friends over.  At the time DH and I were struggling with the idea of friends because to us friends are people you do stuff with, people you spend time with. Yet outside of the work place or the church building itself we weren't really spending too much time with anyone.

So, I decided to put it out on Facebook that we were having a Family Wii Night and everyone was welcome.  It was a bring a snack and drink to share kind of thing.  I figured that way if no one came we'd have snacks (not too much) for us and we'd just have a family night with our little family.  Win Win no matter what.

We had almost 25 people say they were interested in joining us!!  I couldn't believe it!  We were so very excited!  We ended up with 18, I think, which was AWESOME!

We (my family) were still reaching out trying to build our community and so I had a sit down with our minister.  I had a whole list of "stuff" that I was dreaming of and wanting to be apart of at our church.  And so, Dinner for Eight was started at our church.  I found out that they had had it in the past so I was really excited to start it up again.  It was going to be starting in the summer time so I really wasn't expecting very many to sign up.  We ended up with 5 groups of 8 and 2 groups of 6!! 52 people!  Outstanding!  Now 2 months into it we have a waiting list for our next shuffle and start up!

Unbelievable!  I feel like there is a clamouring for community these days.  I see it everywhere we go.  It's wonderful!  I love seeing communities being built up.  I love seeing people connect.  I love getting to be a small part of it!

We've had our Family Wii Night again and this time we had around 22 people!  It was so wonderful and everyone made at least one comment saying... "Next time..."   :o)  Music to my ears!!

Somehow over time community seems to have been pushed aside.  Community the way I'm speaking of it.  Community being a group of people who care about one another and take care of one another and spend time with one another.  Real time, not just cyber time but face to face time too.  Don't get me wrong.  Some friends and family are far away and I love the community we have online through facebook and email but face to face time is important.

In days gone by, neighbors were so important.  You knew your neighbors!  You visited with them, you took care of and watched out for one another.  You visited on the front porch or across the fence!  Churches had potlucks on a regular basis and picnics!  Shoot even the army did more than they do now!  Use to they hung out at the Enlisted or Officer's Clubs.  They had picnics, organizational days, and oh just all kinds of time to spend developing community among one another.

I don't know why any of this changed.  I guess everyone just got busy and it slipped away.  But you know what?  I think it is time we bring it back!!  We NEED community!  We were MADE for community!  We weren't created to be loners.  We were created to be there for one another in all things.

I wonder... if we continue to bring back community.... what might this world be like?  I, for one, think it would be a much better, much happier world.  What do you think?