All In. Together.

Credit: Pocket Fuel

...the Lord commanded you, to love the Lord your God, and to walk in all his ways and to keep his commandments and to cling to him and to serve him with all your heart and with all your soul.
//Joshua 22:5

A few days ago, I was looking through the album I made on Facebook for my junior year. I had titled it: all in || junior year. It made me think: how have I been "all in" this school year?

I had been wrestling with whether I should keep going to youth meetings on Wednesday nights. The talks were great, the food was great, but the fellowship was lacking. And part of it was my fault. I haven't made much of an effort to be a part of that community. I'm different from them, and not in a bad way. I'm a homeschooler, a newspaper journalist, a blogger, a musician, a photographer. But it's hard to find a common ground. It seems like only a few people have even one thing in common with me.

I was talking to my mom about it the other day and she had some really good thoughts. She knew I had been discouraged and struggling to find my place in the group, but reminded me that we were made for community, and that sometimes community is not always what we expect it to be. But we shouldn't give up on things just because they are hard. God gives us community and puts different people together for a reason. And the reason is usually not so we can be comfortable. If it was, why would there be any reason for us to turn to Jesus?

I admit, I was unengaged during the first meeting of this semester. My argument was, "I'm not sure this is where I'm supposed to be, so I'm just going to sit here and wait until I get an answer from the Lord." Instead of being completely and fully present right where I was, I clammed up. Since that was my mindset, I missed opportunities to love others. What image of Christianity am I putting across when that's my attitude? I'm definitely not shining the love of Christ when I just sit back and do nothing.

I do think I'm supposed to continue going to the youth meetings, but that's not the point. The point is that it's my job as a follower of Christ to be all in, to dive headfirst into whatever he has put before me. Even if it's uncomfortable, even if I feel like an outsider, I am called to be a living, breathing example of Christ's love. A daunting task to say the least. But with God, all things are possible.

Lord, give us grace. Give us strength to be all in for you. Let us realize that you give community as a gift, and that we're called to be all in, together. Help us be real, help us love one another, and then share that love with others. We love you Lord. Amen.