if you love them, they will come

THINK

But I do not account my life of any value nor as precious to myself, if only I may accomplish my course and the ministry which I received from the Lord Jesus, to testify to the gospel of the grace of God. Acts 20:24

PRAY

Dear God, What is it you want me to do today? What about tomorrow? What's the long-term plan? Please show me. Don't let me look left or right. Don't let me compare the communities of others to my own loneliness.. Instead, equip me so that my life is a testimony to your grace, the grace poured out for me especially. 

ACT

Have you ever been in search of community and felt shut out? You look at well-established groups or organizations and feel like you just don't fit? You can't find that place where you were intended to belong? I think it's a common feeling. We all want to belong. What is community? I think that for Christians, community is all about companions on a journey to help us travel in step with God. Community is the people we serve and the people who serve alongside us. It's easy to fall into the trap of envying another woman's community. The life of someone else might look fuller, richer, holier, and more engaged in lively, purposeful friendships. It looks like there is more value. It looks like she is more valued by the people who surround her.

But.

What if?

What if, instead of searching for the perfect community in which to do God's work--and the perfect people to support us-- we look instead to settle into the particular course and ministry we received from the Lord? What if we discern what it is we were made to do and asked Jesus to help us see clearly where and with whom He'd have us do it? Can you bring Jesus into daily round of your life, whether in an office or in a school or waiting at the pediatrician, or standing on a sideline, or lying with a child while she drifts off to sleep? Just love the next person, whoever that person is?

You can.

You can take every step in faith that if you follow your unique course, He will be there and He will provide community. Or, He will step into the loneliness. You can fill with His grace and you can testify to grace by making your mission simple: Love God. Love people. And do the next thing with Him.

I'm stepping out in faith today and trusting that if I just do love, community will come.

~*~*~*~

If #morningrun blesses you, please share the image so that others can find us here?

Motherhood can feel like the loneliest vocation in the world. Surrounded by children, who frequently bring us to our knees, both literally and figuratively, we can be overwhelmed by isolation. Mothers need community. We can be community for one another. We can encourage on another and hold each other accountable. If you like these short devotions, please share the image and send another woman here. And when you're here, please take a moment to pray with another mother who is visiting. Leave a comment and when you do, pray for the woman whose comment is just above yours. Just a moment--blessed--will begin to build community.

I like to pray when I run in the morning. Often, I listen to Divine Office and pray Morning Prayer or the Office of Readings. Then, I just take up a conversation with God. I'd love to pray for you! Please leave your prayer requests below and we can pray for each other, no matter how we spend our morning prayer time. Meet me back here tomorrow and I'll share the ponderings from my #morningrun.