Meaningful Communities

During high school I moved to four different schools in five years. Every move I made I found it harder to make connections. Year 11 was the worst year of my life. I was lonely, felt rejected and misunderstood.

I heard one girl in my Australian history class was from a Christian family. Belinda was beautiful, friendly and liked by all the cool kids. While I felt intimidated by her I plucked up my courage to chat to her. She was nice but didn’t really invite me into her social circle and I was too shy to initiate anything further.

Eight years later I bumped into Belinda again. We started reminiscing about Year 11 and I told her how alone I had felt that year. She looked at me shocked. “I felt exactly the same!” she said.

Little had we known that we were both feeling disconnected from others. If only we had reached out to each other a little more, a deeper relationship could have formed.

It can be hard to build community with other people. To do so means that you need to show vulnerability. This openness can be daunting but when real, deep community develops it can bring great things to your life. It helps you to feel connected, understood and accepted. It also gives you a greater understanding of other people and the world that God has created.

Don’t make the same mistake I did. Reach out to others and work towards some meaningful communities today.

Lord, you have created us to be in community. Help us to reach out to others as well as be willing to receive the support we need. Amen.

How can you extend your community today?

alone, friend, school, support, vulnerable