I can hardly believe that we’re 18 days into #31Days and less than a week away from Allume. This month is flying! I hope you’ve been enjoying this series as much as I’ve loved writing it – I have three posts left for the end of the month that aren’t written yet, so leave a note in the comments if there is something you’d like me to talk about!
GO:
I’ve wondered this month what I would do if Lisa-Jo gave us a prompt that didn’t quite fit into my #31days theme. But when chooses the word laundry after we all joined hands around the world to help our sisters build a laundry facility in South Africa? Well, I’d say you can build community around just about anything! And isn’t that really what it’s about? Not coming into relationship with one another just for what they can do for us, but looking for ways to bless one another. In the small ways, knowing that God will multiply the offering and in moments of 10 minutes, $10, or 140 characters in a tweet, we can be a community that changes the world, together.
This week I’ve seen laundry change lives. I’ve watched women gather and cheer while folding their own laundry, a sisterhood of the mundane chores. I’ve watched as women comment that they are drowning in the un-done spaces of dirty dishes, wet laundry, and meal planning, only to see – just hours later – that friend after friend has, without asking, come and done the work for them so they could get done what God has called them to do.
Community isn’t about building platforms that push people away. It’s not about building something by tearing down what someone else has built, or pretending we’re not all drowning in the day-to-day. It’s about working as a kingdom architect to find a way to build a platform big enough for all who want to join, a place where we can come with piles of unfinished life, baggage, dirty laundry, and brokenness, knowing that our sisters will gather into our messiness and say “Yes. I can help you with that.”STOP
Speaking of community (and this one, yes, has taken a bit of planning), if you’re going to Allume and happen to be an (in)courager (mentor, leader, member, or interested in learning more about our community groups) you can sign up to attend our meet-up here: https://incouragers.eventbrite.com/
If you’re a Five Minute Friday gal (veteran, newbie, or have no idea what this is but you’ll be there and want to try this whole “writing unedited for five minutes” thing), you can sign up to join that meet-up here: https://fiveminutefriday.eventbrite.com/
Very beautiful and lovely, Crystal. I’m like Amy Boyd below. I love this post. Happy Weekend blessings!
I love this post and your #31days series. We all strive to be a part of a loving, giving, supportive community and I am thankful to have found it both here and in(RL).
After a rough morning complete with can-we-just-get-out-the-door tantrums, your words remind me of something that always brings me joy. I LOVE, LOVE, LOVE that God led me to a platform shared by you and so many amazing others. You just always make my heart smile! Sad I won’t be joining you guys at Allume, but maybe next year. Take lots of pics to share and travel safely!
Beautiful, Crystal. I love what you said about Community:
“It’s about working as a kingdom architect to find a way to build a platform big enough for all who want to join, a place where we can come with piles of unfinished life, baggage, dirty laundry, and brokenness, knowing that our sisters will gather into our messiness and say “Yes. I can help you with that.”
Thank you.
Beautiful post, Crystal! It is amazing what can be accomplished when we all pull together!
woohoo!
So glad you stopped over Deborah! It’s nice to have you here 🙂
Stoppin by from FMF. It was your smile from the thumbnail image in the line up of FMF posts that made me stop at your blog. Loved reading this. My week has been busy and I missed the posts about South Africa and am behind in what’s going on but a mama knows laundry so even reading this bit, I thank God for what has been done out of love. Thanks for this lovely post. Think I’ll look around a bit. 😉
So excited to be a part of the FMF Party at Allume! Less than a week, Crystal! Eeek!