People

For the past 10 months I have lived in a community of about 20 people and my biggest problem that I faced with this was that there was always someone THERE! Wherever I went there was always someone there or the possibility for someone to walk in at any moment. This is aspect was great for accountability and confronting yourself not to do anything bad, but on the other hand I just really needed to get away!

I will openly admit that I love being around people, but there is nothing more in this world that I enjoy than my alone time. I truly need that time to just be by myself and unwind without distraction and sound. I never realized until this year how much I cherished and need my alone time.

So this brings us to today where for the past 12 days I have been alone in some aspect or another. This summer I am staying in the basement of the director of the school that I will be teaching at this year. His name is Tom and he has a wonderful wife named Julia and they have two kids:a daughter Anna who is two and insanely smart and energetic and a 5 week old son name Luke who at this point in his life is the complete opposite from his sister (hopefully he will be just as smart). But they have been gone on vacation and let me to manager the house and it has been QUIIIIIIIIIIIIITE ... a little too quite!

The first couple of days were amazing! I would wake up and wouldn't here a thing other than the cat meowing to go outside and then it was just complete me time. It was just what I needed after a long year of people all around. So I got recharged and energized and then I started to realize that I missed them and I didn't want to be alone anymore. I NEEDED PEOPLE! So I started going back up to camp (Camp Lurecrest that is) and was just begging to be back around people.

The past couple of days I have been thinking as to why this is and I realized this morning when I was reading Ephesians 2:11-22. In that passage, Paul is explaining how through Christ's sacrifice he has made the two groups of people (those that do not know Christ and those who do) into one through what Christ has done. In 2:15-18 it says, "He has abolished the law with its commandments and ordinances, that he might create in himself one new humanity in place of the two, thus making peace, and might reconcile both groups to God in one body through the cross, thus putting to death that hostility through it. So he came and proclaimed peace to you where were far off and peace to those who were near; for through him both of us have access in one Spirit to the Father." These few verses helped me realize that God has created a humanity where we all need each other; he has created a humanity where we are to live in community that is to bring worship to him by loving one another. I realized that I need and desire that community and I want to love and be loved by other people.

Thinking about this just makes me so excited to get back to the ESBS in August and to be back in a community where we are all learning and growing in that new humanity that God has created. It also makes me think of times when that wall of hostility Paul talks about has shown up in my own life and how I may have hurt others because of my prejudice and failure to love. My heart is truly broken because of this and I have vowed to go out and love those around me. I am not going to love because I feel guilty, but I am going to do it because that is what we are suppose to do as one family that is united by the Holy Spirit and following the example of Christ, so that it may bring glory to the Father.

So I guess in summary I can just say: Tom, Julia, Anna and Luke ... I am ready for you to comeback and make as much noise as possible!