God was going 20 mph.

Nat and I were house sitting awhile back when I realized my shoes were at my house. Hopping in the car, expecting to jaunt home and back in plenty of time, I ran into suburban expansion. 30 minutes, 1 1/2 miles, and frazzled nerves later, I arrive at my house.

The reason: 2 elementary schools and 4 school zones. I shook my fist at inconvenience and begged God to let me move deep into the woods. Then I sensed a sweet whisper, "But who will tell all these people I love them?"

All of a sudden, the people who were slowing me up went from being obstructions, to families in need of hope. Instead of noticing traffic, I noticed young people who I could get to know and share with. I knew I couldn't leave. This was my community. I was wrecked.

But real community is messy. When people get into each other's lives, it chafes like cheap toilet paper because I have issues, baggage, hang ups, and "idiosyncrasies." So do you.

Real community is knowing the difference between "one of my moods" and something wrong and loving me through both of them (even when they both happen a lot). It's calling me on my moods, bearing my burden, and letting me bear yours. It's rubbing me the wrong way, and it's saving my life.

But it's most definitely not just "getting together."

And the greatest petri dish for growing community...

Frequent, spontaneous contact.

The more we're around each other, the more likely we'll become a community. It's not just about affinity when we realize something greater is going on and submit to the process. By having dinner together and shopping together and our kids play together and being willing to be real and commit to caring even when and especially when we disagree or are different... we're nurturing the raw materials of real community.

The challenge for me was to see the people right around me as my community too. It goes from meeting people at church to meeting people in my world. What if God wants me to reach out to the neighbor lady, or the couple across the street? What if He wants me to show her He loves her and that God and church is about imperfect, broken people learning to live and love God and each other inspite of our "idiosyncrasies?"

Lynn McCord asked, "What now?" That's up to you. Here are somethings I'm going to try...

1) Rally with those already around me. Does anyone from your church live near you? 5 couples who attend my church live within 1/2 mile of my house. Let's get together soon and get to know each other better.

2) Slay the dragon of individualism. I really don't need more "me" time. It's really no hassle to have someone to my house for dinner (if they don't expect spic-n-span). It's not the company I pull back from anyway, it's letting them see me and speak into my life when I need it. Point blank: to be who God wants me to be, I need other people. The Marlboro man died ruggedly alone.

3) Make the best of what's around. I'm going to walk around my neighborhood at least once a week and pray that I see what I need to see. What is that? I don't know. Maybe someone I can talk to. That's out of my comfort zone (see #2 above). But God loves them. I know it, and they may not. Whoever I meet, I'm going to take that as from God and look for ways to build a relationship with them, see what God's doing in their life, and let them see what God's doing in mine.

The key word in my life is PROACTIVE. After 31 years, the world hasn't beat down my door. I guess God wants me to get out and try to make a difference somewhere.

But I'm wearing a smock for when it starts to get messy!