Looking Forward To This Next Season
Take a moment, look in the mirror, and repeat after me,
“I can do hard things.”
Things you accomplished in the past three months:
Hot person summer? Check!
Preparing for the onslaught of political conversations at work with Gary from HR? Check.
Did the 100 pushups a day I swore I’d accomplish? About that…
Cleaned the garage? Does scrambling to force two cars in the garage to avoid a hail storm count as “cleaning?” Yes, it does! Check!
As you confidently look in the mirror thinking of all you conquered this summer, you hear an ad with a Christmas carol and you can feel the cold dark nights that will be creeping up.
And this my friends is one of the many reasons we do church.
Obviously, most people come to hear the announcements. Yet, I find myself drawn over and over again to hearing from all of you, “Ya, me too.”
Alert the media, but life can be crazy hard at times. From doing your best to help your children learn and grow and keeping check of your own mental health to following the news and then trying to keep your cool after reading the news. From taking a nap after trying to keep your cool because you, in fact, did not keep your cool to simply surviving another day. All this and more. It is hard and at times, and thankless work. Yet it is a sacred work to keep waking up and showing up. This is why Neighborhood is vital to me. I need to be reminded.
Reminded that I am more than what I produce.
Reminded that I am a good parent even when my kids don’t drink organic milk.
Reminded that I am deeply loved by a good and beautiful God—even when they feel distant.
Reminded that I am worth being loved by those around me, not just tolerated.
Reminded that I am a miracle.
Reminded that I am fearfully and wonderfully made.
These reminders are vital, holy, and deeply needed. They can happen before church as you catch up on the way in, grabbing coffee before you sit down, over the 5-minute break, or after service as you walk to the car. Some chosen time to process what you’re feeling can be a lifesaver.
This is what we do, remind one another that who you are and the work you are doing is hard, sacred, and holy. Sometimes hearing a friend or someone you just met, tell you “Ya, me too, it’s stupid hard out there, keep going, it matters.” is just enough to get you through another week or day or hour.
As you celebrate this summer and look forward to this next season, I invite you to join us as we partner in the work of Christ—reminding one another that we are truly good and beautiful.
See you soon friends,
Kris
