June 15, 2013

[a little bitta community]

Yesterday afternoon I witnessed one of the most precious moments I had experienced in a long time. Well, the most precious moment is quite a stretch.. what the precious moment brought on is what was so special.

There I was sitting in the middle of the La Madeleine in the Dallas Love Field Airport, mango iced tea in hand - you know it. Sitting there reading.. passing time until my flight back to Tulsa, Oklahoma.. T-town, if you will. In walked a little old lady who proceeded to ask a middle-aged woman if she could share a table with her. What? There were plenty of available seats - why is this lady trying to bum a table from a stranger? Enter the sweetest conversation ever.. so what if I was eavesdropping?

The two ladies talked about life, chemotherapy, food, friendship, travels, tornado devastation in Oklahoma. And quite frankly, it was beautiful. Props go to the cutest old lady who had the nerve to sit next to this stranger. I rarely see this in the United States.. not saying that people here aren't friendly - but honestly, who goes up to random people in restaurants to ask if they can accompany them with their meal when there are plenty of available seats?

Even though their conversation was not necessarily gospel centered, it made me think of Christian community. It made me think of Christ's body - the Church. God never intended for us to be disconnected.. to figure out life, Christianity, hard times, you name it.. on our own. In a world filled with over 6.974 billion people (yes, BILLION), it is easy to feel tiny, insignificant, independent.

As much as we try to entertain this so-called independence, this is not about you bucking up while attempting to do life on your own; it's about you realizing that you can't become a 'better' Christian on your own accord. We were made for community. We're apart of something bigger than our own lives.

How awesome would it be if we took after the little old lady in our Christian walk?

What if we discussed our struggles more openly with one another? After all, we're in this together, right?

What if we looked for opportunities to assist in carrying the burdens of others on a daily basis.. Whether that be through the stranger we meet in the coffee shop or our best friend?

Just a little food for thought.