Confessions of a Homebody

I tend to be a homebody. I could stay at home for weeks on end with no outside contact and be perfectly happy (that's probably why I never answer my phone). I have plenty of things to keep me busy or at the very least waste my time. Something new is always going on with the boys so the novelty rarely wears off. Knitting is a perfectly happy solo adventure and yet...I find myself drawn towards community.

Don't get me wrong, I spend plenty of time at home but I find myself spending more time with others. Why would a perfectly happy homebody spend time with others? Because relationship nourishes me in a way that I can't do myself. My relationships with others force me to look beyond myself, to be dependent, to enjoy time rather than just pass the time. I tend to want to do everything by myself but for me, that is empty arrogance. There are actually very few things I can do by myself, for everything else, I need community.

Raising the kids cannot be done by myself or even just with the help of my spouse. I depend on community to grow with the boys and show them that families are all beautifully different. I appreciate all of the clothes we've gotten as children in our community have outgrown them. I value the time my community has spent looking after my kids but more importantly, investing in them and loving them completely.

Personal growth cannot be achieved by myself. I depend on others to hold my hand and hold me accountable. I appreciate all of the women who have spoken truth into my life out of love. I deeply value my community for showing me that God's love and grace have a deep and meaningful place in my life. I can humbly say that I am not the same person I was two years ago and that my life has been drastically changed because of God and my community.

Love is nothing when it is isolated. Love is everything when it is celebrated, shared, lived, and given away. Love has no reference point without community.

All of this is a way of letting you know that this happy homebody is choosing community over isolation one step at a time...