Community

A few nights ago, Kevin and I were sitting on our swing in the front yard. One of my favorite things is to drink coffee and sit with my sweetheart and talk about life and Jesus and watch the sun go down. 

We were sitting for a bit when we noticed a beautiful bird in a tree. It had a yellow belly and I hadn't remembered seeing one before. We googled it and found it was in the finch family. It had a nest in the tree. 

It began squawking and making different noises from its branch.  It wasn't long before we noticed a cat walking down the sidewalk towards us. The bird got louder. 

Then it happened- other birds joined the bird in the tree. They, too, began making noise, warning the cat to stay away. The cat must not have been very concerned... It flopped down on the sidewalk. The birds continued to come from different directions, still making noise. 

They had heard the cries for help and came to the birds aid. 

Another yellow bellied bird suddenly came and pecked that cat on the head. The cat got up and decided to leave. 

I was so moved by this. Thinking about these birds made me think about Christians. 

The birds were different types. The yellow belly birds may have been the parents - but those that came to help at the sound of need- they were all different colors and sizes. How powerful. 

So many times we like to stay in our area. Our comfort zone. What feels safe to us. 

What if we got over ourselves? Our fears? Our junk? And reached out? 

Realized that we are all His? We are ALL sinners in need of unfailing love? What if? 

What would we look like? 

Community. Family. Love. 

Love has to look like something. I want my love to look like His. 

Not like me- because human love has limits and boundaries and conditions. Human love is based off of feelings. It comes and it goes. 

But His love- it has no bounds. No rules. It breaks down walls and it seeps through the cracks and it never lets go. 

I pray that all that's going on around us is a great challenge to our hearts... To grow in our love. First in our love for God, then in our love for others. Not just those that love us back. Or those that agree with every belief we have. 

But those that might not even like you. Or agree with you. Those that have been through hell and have walls up. Those that are hopeless. Those that have never known real love. So they turned to false refuges because the pain is great and the place they are in are so dark. 

We can't hide in our closets and wait for Jesus to return. Yes- we need to hit our knees- so that He can change our hearts and make us like Him. 

Hit our knees- and then get up. And go be love. 

Let us grow in love. It's the only answer. 

Christa ❤️

My dear children, let’s not just talk about love; let’s practice real love. This is the only way we’ll know we’re living truly, living in God’s reality. It’s also the way to shut down debilitating self-criticism, even when there is something to it. For God is greater than our worried hearts and knows more about us than we do ourselves. (1 John 3:18-20 MSG)