Our church has a blog during this Lent Season called 40 Days of Wonder and I am a guest writer today. Check it out and subscribe it you want! It's amazing hearing from so many different people - hearing so many different perspectives - and opening my heart to so many different challenges!
Here's my entry:
I wonder what would happen if…
we invested more time into building and maintaining relationships?
I’m not talking about your Facebook relationships. I’m talking about your “Village” – your “Home Team”. I’m talking about the relationships you run to when you’re at your lowest, are welcome in whether your house is clean or not, offer to bring a meal when your family is thrown a curve ball, the ones who know your ups and downs whether you’re Facebook friends or not, pick up your kids from school because your baby is still napping, watch your children over night so you and your spouse can have a getaway, say “I’m running to Meijer, do you need anything?”. I’m talking about the relationships that you can just BE – just be YOU.
Maybe you already have a Home Team – maybe you don’t. But don’t we all desire one?
I was reminded of this idea as I read my MOPS MomSense Magazine this month. Shauna Niequist wrote an article called “The Home Team”. I had never heard it called this before – Josh and I have always called it “Our Village”.
This article reminded me of something I have done for the past couple of lent seasons. I give up Facebook for 40 days – not because I believe I’m addicted, but because it’s an attention getter. I intentionally carve out time over 40 days to invest in existing relationships and select a few new faces I would like to get to know a little better – the old fashioned way!
I am also intentional with acknowledging and investing time into our parents – who help us so much – and are a huge part of our Home Team!
I spend 40 days praising God for the Home Team He has blessed us with, and I do my best to set our busy schedule to the side, slow down and invest – invest time and love into existing relationships and a few new ones.
Maybe you don’t have a Home Team – quite yet – but I believe it’s absolutely essential and would add to the richness of your life.
Building a Home Team requires a lot of time and intention. Some relationships “just happen” and some you must intentionally select to be a part of your team.
I wonder what would happen if… you had a Home Team – friends and family who walked with you through the good, the bad and the ugly – cried with you and cheered you on. People you learned from, people you mentored, people who simply did life with you.
Because – here’s the deal… God didn’t design us to do life alone. He doesn’t want us to do life alone.
And let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds, not giving up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but encouraging one another—and all the more as you see the Day approaching. – Hebrews 10: 24-25
There have been numerous times when we’ve stood in awe because of the way our Home Team came around us. There have been many times when the generosity of our Home Team has blown us away. And… there have been many times when we’ve had the opportunity to bless our Home Team.
We have been able to bless others because of the example that has been set for us. We’ve been shown how to be a blessing. Our life is rich because of our Home Team.
I wonder what would happen if…
we invested more time into building and maintaining relationships?
Let no debt remain outstanding, except the continuing debt to love one another, for whoever loves others has fulfilled the law. – Romans 13:8
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