It takes a community?

The past couple of months have been eye opening to me. It actually all started when I was trying to propose to Jamie…

Originally I was going to do it on her birthday August 9^th, but it so happened that I cut my foot that week. It was going to be perfect, she was in Tennesse, away until August 7^th or so. Plenty of time to plan it all out and go get a ring, yea that didn’t work out, stupid chainsaws. So it got delayed until the next weekend, or so I thought, until I figured out, with the help of Frank and his software that find resturants and hotels, that we wouldn’t have had a chance at finding a good place to stay at a reasonable price. Plus we were going to be leaving after youth group Saturday night, which means we would have got in late and then only had less than a full day at the beach (Cape Cod). All the planning on my part(with Franks help), not worth a day (worth many), and if you’re going to propose, you want to do it right because she it worth it. So it was delayed again, and that is when the real trouble began…

I told a great couple from Northway Chruch that I would house and dog sit for them the following week. Which meant that the weekend coming up, the 23^rd, I was suppose to be house sitting. Well after a few conversations with the couple I was able to agree to have a friend of mine watch it for the weekend. That is when I began thinking about it takes a community to pull this stuff off. I call numerous people to house sit and a couple of people to speak for me that Saturday at youth group. Aaron decided that he could watch the house and Greg said he would speak for me. Nate and Molly were willing to help out too. It was amazing everybody pulled together to help Jamie and I get engaged. I couldn’t have proposed without the commnity of friends that Jamie and I have. Thank You! But the story doesn’t end there …

So now we’re engaged, and it is time to plan the wedding. We want to do it farely quick for many different reasons, so we decide to wait after the holidays and do it in January. That gave us 5 months from the engagement. Now in the mist of stress from planning and parents, the community steps in once again. Molly is helping gown shop and plan, plan, plan. Nate is agreeing to use his technical ability to help us. Ericka is adding support and advice. Garry in his genuis is trying to help us make it look good. Jamie’s parents are providing a budget. Frank and Christa allow us to vent, and add sanity to the stress. Jared and Jasmine (sorry about the spelling) are adding comic relief. Bill and Bonnie Farrell can’t wait to start premarital. Family, friends, and accuantiances are excited and providing referrals! Then there is me …

I am sitting back just awstruck by the family that we are surrounded by. A family that is willing to spend so much of their free time helping, us. Wow! I was the guy that never asked or wanted any help from anybody. I never thought that people actually cared enough about each other to stop and help. I was the guy that was going to do everything by myself, on my own. I didn’t need anybody, or anything. I desired to be a self-made man, gritty and tuff. It was my blood, sweat and tears that was going to make it happen and I didn’t want anybody elses. Wow, so this is where I begin to realize not only have I changed, but that there are people out there that love. This is where I realize where I have come. This is where I realize how grateful I am that I am part of a community. This is where I realize that you may not need a community to get by, but that it is sure awesome to have one. Thank You! Thank You, Thank You!

So, if I could plug Rex’s sermon last week … are you in a small group? do you have a community?

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