Contribution in Community
Make an exponential impact
Relationships are so important and rewarding.
I’m going to talk about a relationship and a community that is often undervalued… especially in the US.
I’m the type of person who’s never had a true “friend group.”
Gratefully, through the church I’ve been able to develop relationships with a handful of men a few years my senior. Most of the group is 30+ and able to share life experiences that I haven’t encountered yet. Things like engagements, moving cross country for work, being blessed with generous raises or promotions, and numerous other things.
When I think about community I’ve always thought about a business community, or a book club, or an association. But… there are far more areas of community that we could be focusing on.
One of the most communal areas is the church—at least it should be.
What does community mean to you?
When I think about community I think about people that you can pick up and people that are picking you up.
As I mentioned I never really had a friend group or people that I could always rely on. I had a few groups of friends in high school or college but there were just as good without me as they were with me; I wasn’t adding any value.
That leads into something I started praying a little over a month ago.
The most important prayer I’ve ever prayed is one that I’ve been praying after a devotional recommended it.
“LORD WOULD YOU AWAKEN MY AFFECTION FOR YOU”
This has engaged my heart in the relationships with these men in a way that I hadn’t experienced previously.
When I think about community impact and really connecting with all areas of the local population, one of the things that comes to mind for me is variety. This group that I have now is one that is united by faith and the Word of God.
Yet, this community of men that I have is not one that would be connected otherwise.
We are a wide range of people — with an electrician, a plumber, a tech guy, a financial advisor, a missionary, a small business owner, a landscaper and me, customer experience manager.
With the broad backgrounds that we bring into our time together, we are able to have widespread impact in the community.
The people that we reach and cross paths with on our day to day are likely not going to regularly be the same people. Community can be defined as having a similar set of values or beliefs to other people which we certainly have and that’s what unites us.
Then, we can go out into the local community and expand the reach of our community.
The most beautiful communities are the ones that are not isolated but connected.
"There is no power for change greater than a community discovering what it cares about." – Margaret J. Wheatley
“I alone cannot change the world, but I can cast a stone across the waters to create many ripples.” – Mother Teresa
And, when those ripples are coming from all different areas within the city, the impact is multiplied exponentially.
Thank you for reading.
Wishing you beauty and joy, kindness and compassion and ripples.
About Super Powers
We break the year down into 12 areas of balance. You will achieve greater growth and life balance by intently focusing on one area at a time. This month’s Super Powers focus is on community. Next month is about family life.
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