One of my favorite writers Henri Nouwen says: “Nothing is sweet or easy about Community. Community is a fellowship of people who do not hide their joys and sorrows but make them visible to each other as a gesture of hope.” Can I say it better? Probably not. People are social creatures & we need each other, but on the other hand, we are very self-centered & we use each other & then push each other away as useless inconvenience when there is nothing left to get out of each other. Nevertheless, Community stands.
In Ukraine, we were integrated into a good church community, a community of family & friends & a community of our coworkers. We all tried to support each other through sick & thin. At least, that was what my husband & I were trying to do. But when we had nothing left to give, we noticed that our communities significantly shrunk, leaving our backs bare to the wind & cold of different life challenges. It was a … chilling experience. People around us were so used to getting something out of us that they had no idea what to do with us being empty.
We had to move on. And we got embraced by new communities we had no idea existed before we needed them so badly. The new church, new family members, and new friends miraculously emerged, covering our bare bases & holding up our tired hands. They pulled & pushed us through when we had no strength to make even one step forward. God could have made everything on His own for us, but that is not how He operates. He chooses to use people, meaning He chooses some people to help us while he chooses us to help some other people. And life goes on.
