What Am I Waiting For?

Pastor Ken just finished his series on community and asked me to speak at the Wednesday Night Connecting Point to tell my story about being in community. I made notes, prayed for God to guide and use my words and then shared from my heart what God has shown me........

I knew I needed community and still didn't jump in. I prayed about it and God surrounded me with powerful examples of community.

First the staff- a community of people I had on a pedestal (and still do to be honest), that I put so far ahead of me in wisdom and faith and their relationship with Christ. They speak to each other and listen to each other and are humble and kind and honest and welcomed me into this community with the same respect they gave each other. Remarkable and overwhelming to me still.

Then I took on my first big project as Children's Ministry Director- to build a new UpStreet environment for our kids. I was surrounded by community. The team that created it (that I did not give them credit as a community until just now) and the Karpf's wonderful community group, all of whom showed up for weeks on end to paint and organize and clean and sweat (cause I would forget to turn on the air in time to cool the big old place) and create and build and cut and nail and paint and sweat some more. We laughed and worked and prayed, made a mess and got the job done! A family in Christ, working and serving Him and growing together.

By the time we were done, I could not wait to get into a community group. I missed them and knew that community was where I needed to be. I stepped out on faith and became a facilitator for a ladies community group. God rewarded my faith by placing me with an amazing group of women and opened a way to use me to connect and grow and lead and follow with them in a real and wonderful community!

That was pretty much what I was led to share this past Wednesday. I was thankful to be allowed to share and pray that it encouraged any and everyone there that was not already in community to run out and get in it!

What didn't get said that night was that I just left my wonderful community group. It was a beautiful, supportive, caring, loving group and I walked away. We have been in community going on 2 years, have prayed and supported each other through financial trouble, family stress, cancer, surgery, recovery, birthdays, medical and emotional crisis, shared joy over answered prayers, eaten very well, loved,laughed and cried together. Staying in community with each other would be the easiest and safest place in the world. BUT, over the last 6-8 months the Lord had been talking to me consistently about why being uncomfortable was the better choice.

Community is meant to grow new leaders and hosts. Community is meant to grow faith and courage and love so that we step out and share those beautiful gifts with others. I spoke about those things but couldn't make myself get uncomfortable. I had lots of good reasons for not leaving my group. What if I didn't stay in touch with my beautiful sisters and we lost that connection? What if they were mad at me? What if I never found another community group like them? What if they wouldn't join another community group? We kept welcoming new members, wasn't that enough to share this gift with others? Bottom line, I just didn't want to leave. I love my community group! They are good for me and to me and I would miss them too much! We are good for each other! I was following God enough by being facilitator and even host home too sometimes.

Why would God want me to leave something so great? Why would He expect me to do more?

Well, I know the answer to this but, like a kid with my fingers in my ears, singing lalalalalalalalala, I don't want to listen.

The answer is, it is not about me.

So what if I'm scared of being uncomfortable, making people I love uncomfortable, or even mad at me? It is not about me. God is so much bigger than that and has always taken care of me. He brought me into this community group and blessed me beyond measure.

How can I not trust Him to take care of this next step if He is leading me?

So, trust Him. Be a leader, be a host home, step out on faith and I promise you He will be faithful to be there with you and hold your hand, speak through you, love and live through and with you. God is faithful in all things. Look to Him for guidance and provision, not to yourself.

In our weakness He is strong. Be sure to remind me of that the next time I'm struggling to step out in faith.

Courage and Peace in Christ,
Amy Gieger
Children's Ministry Director