Buliding Community

"Sometimes it is the person closests to us who must travel the furthest distance to be our friend." >Robert Brault

There's a lot of talk around here about building community, in other words, taking time out of our busy schedules to get to know those around us. So many of us feel like we don't have any close friends, I'm one of them, I often feel very seperated from everyone around me. When I look around and see others talking or spending time together, I wonder why it's never me that's there. I realized that I have to start by looking from the outside in, what I am I doing to build community. Sure I've had people over, but not nearly as often as I could or should. Why is it that those that are closest to me need to work so hard to be my friend? What am I doing or not doing that makes it hard for them to get close to me? Then I realize that if I'm not willing to "stop and smell the roses" or slow down and invite someone over even if my house is a mess or the laundry is not done I can't very well look at others and wonder why they don't want me over.

I'm really going to start making an effort to have people over more, I really think it's important. Gone are the days when someone just 'stopped by for a visit' without calling, I really do like it when people just pop in, but in our day and age that just does not happen any more. I'm just going to have to take the time to make the phone call, maybe even more than one, after all one might be busy and won't be able to make it so it might actually take some effort on my part. I've resolved to do it though, even if it means I have to try more than once. After all, building community is loving others and that is what God has called us to.