Karli on community

Karli, a member of our community who also happens to be married to our associate pastor Chris had some really cool thoughts on community and our Fourth of July get-together...

Blessed by Community

We had lots of grand fun for the fourth of July... We spent the night up in Ridgefield, saw the parade and hung out for good food and socializing with our parents friends. Then, headed back to P-town in our new car... (Chris' parents sent us home with their 16 year old Honda. It's got A/C and a radio, and it runs which is more than we have been working with.) for our church community celebration.

As we drove away last night (literally through and over exploding fireworks) I shared with Chris such a huge feeling of love for our church community. I feel loved and taken care of. I feel so much love for these people and I feel like I am helping to take care of them. We went in tired and harried from all of the Fourth of July "fun" and found ourselves relaxing. Sitting on lawn chairs talking with Jeff, Tom, Amy while our baby is held and played with by Victoria and McKenzie.

It is a beautiful feeling, camaraderie. Friendship. Walking through life, surrounded, befriended. People on all sides of you. Talking about life, issues and daily occurrences.

Laughing with Jon and CJ, Nancy, Charlie. Jason and Kimberly. Fun, interesting people that I feel lucky to consider friends.

I feel both like I have peers and like I have wise mentors in Tina, Deborah, Amy... As we sit in the grass talking about motherhood.

I rub Brynn and Danette's pregnant bellies, answering questions, and reflecting on this amazing journey that I just went
through with these same people who were rubbing mine.

I am introduced to new faces, as my husband gets to know them. I love watching him talk with people... He is so open, caring and respectful. People respond to him so noticeably. I feel blessed that his job is to take care of these people, cultivate this community.

We say we are leaving about 6 times, keep chatting with someone else, bump into another familiar face on the way to the door.

We get home to get our little girl to bed, fireworks booming in the distance. She falls asleep, exhausted, and we watch fireworks on TV, as I sort through the huge bag of hand-me-downs that Erin sent us home with.

Wow. I can imagine how different our 4th would have been, our lives would be, without this community. But I don't want to. I'm so glad it's like this.