You Might Not Feel It Till Later

Last night, we say good-bye to some graduating doctoral and masters students. We've known them a long time--long enough to see some get engaged, find a different career path, and generally do very brave and impossible things.

It's emotional. It's like a string in my heart's been cut and they fly loose from me like a kite. I don't realize I feel this way until, well, I do.

For years, you layer up encounters. You build community in a million subtle ways. You don't even know you're doing it. You're just sharing tea or coffee and talking about your life.

And one day, you finally feel it. You're in community. You belong to each other. You're singing around the piano in your living room or holding hands in prayer, and you finally get it.

Sometimes you just don't feel it right away. I thought about this as a boy I've walked to school with for 5 years now asked me what I was thinking about. Going up the hill, we talk about philosophy, nature, and why he's over Minecraft. His sister shares about a doctor's appointment.

I look around at all the children and parents on this walk to school, and my heart feels so full.

We're all telling jokes and then celebrating art or woodworking or music. Day after day, we do this. It doesn't seem like anything's happening, but it is.

Oh, it is.

One day, we'll finally feel it.

It's worth it--this uphill daily climb to connect, to share life, and to make a radical commitment to people.

________________________
Do you have a great community? Did it take time to build?