We're reading through Soul Cravings at Resonate Community. In a way, I was a little surprised at how almost everyone indicated that their most powerful craving at this point in their life is intimacy. We're drawn to have others in our lives, people that love us and that we can love. And isn't this really how most people connect with God? I know when I was starting my journey with him it was because I found a church that cared about me (even though I didn't feel like I fit in).
What's scary (the book goes into this detail) is that people will disappoint us. Those we love, those that love us, at some point will let us down. So how can a church continue to grow and thrive when there's this kind of heartbreak?
Personally, I think that it's all about our connection to God rather than those connections with others. My mentor always said that our vertical relationship always impacts our horizontal ones. So when we are seeking after God, I think a lot of the stuff that can usually trip us up actually helps us to appreciate one another.
I think our craving for community, a place, a tribe is really a craving for God in our life. I like how, after reading this book, I can really examine WHY I crave, not just what I crave. So, what do you crave? And, more importantly, why?
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For our family it was really been craving for honestly years finding a church/religion/spiritual path. Not the path that is the popular one, or the common one, or the newest one in the city, but the one we've prayed for, the one God wanted us on.
ReplyDeleteAnd with that being able to be ourselves without loosing our identities or personalities in the process as people while growing closer to God and people who honestly care and love us and God.
I know people will let us down, we will let others down too, but I know too, people who are honestly my friends will look past that and we will move on quickly when I hurt them just as I will seek to do the very same and teach Toria that as well as she grows.
I heard a references to this idea.When we are all together as a friends, going towards the same goal of growing stronger with God, our families, each other and the community we're like unpolished, unfinished coal encrusted diamonds.
We're in a tumbler (I'm not sure on the actual name of the machine) as we go round and round, over and over, in every direction, bumping and banging into each other 2 things will happen.
One we'll start to see those impurities (personality quirks, physical/emotional hang ups, reservations, uncertainties)all start to break off and fall away and our brilliance will start to show in us and others we affect. And two, we will tumble and bump each other which is a great thing that also means we're doing it TOGETHER.
We can't go it alone, so just being together will give us that needed strength, I know we've felt it in those at RC we've met and who are our new friends, it's awesome!
We can get through anything if we have people around us who love us, help us get on track and stay on track, encourage us, focus us, and remind us of what we need.
So for us, this craving has been a positive one. Maybe not for the last few years, but now we've found the what it was we were searching for and the direction we need to go, it's a relaxed calm because we don't feel the need to continue searching and that craving feeling isn't plaguing us anymore.
We feel we've really found an answer to that craving, which is awesome, now we need to do the work needed to fulfill and sustain us as family spiritually, so it doesn't come back.
Is that where you were going with that question? I happen to get a little side tracked! ha ha! But I tried to bring it home there in the end! ha ha!
Mel (and fam)
P.S. Soul Cravings, wow, awesome book, our timing was perfect to start this with everyone, we love it!! Thank you so much!!
That's what I'm talking about. I think as we all move forward, we can't help but experience God (in the good and bad).
ReplyDeleteThanks for your sensitivity to God moving in your life! That's what makes this journey worth it!