Right now I’m reading For the Love by Jen Hatmaker. I didn’t super want to post about reading this book because *everyone* and their aunt is reading it right now. It’s too trendy for me. I like to not do what’s popular just to be different than the crowd, but that’s a whole ‘nother post for a whole ‘nother time. Point is: I’m reading this book.
This morning I read two chapters about community and doing life with other people, one chapter about the Hatmakers’ Supper Club and one about their version of Sunday Night Church (SNC). Basically, these are two regularly occurring events when their family is intentional about relationship and sharing their worlds with friends. Jen brings up such important points about how other people are what make our lives so rich. She says:
“If Jesus is the heart of the church, people are the lifeblood. There is a reason He created community and told us to practice grace and love and camaraderie and presence. People soften the edges and fill in the gaps. Friends make up some of the best parts of the whole story.” (p.114-115)
Reading these words made be so abundantly thankful for the friends, the community, I have with whom to share my life. We may not have the exact same SC or SNC that the Hatmakers do, but we have Sunday Lunch and Monday Night Dinner (MND) and beach vacations [beach group pictures courtesy of Miranda!] and weekends at the lake and the group texts she mentions. Just last week, while driving home from MND, Jimmy and I talked about how blessed we are to have the friends we have. Life just wouldn’t be the same (or as sweet) without them!
We’re on the brink of a new beginning…kids! We started seven years ago as a group of singles. Now we’re a mixed group of singles and married folks. And next week the group will be welcoming our first baby. It’s beautiful to see how we can grow and change and share life together. Things will certainly look different for us in another seven years, but we can’t wait to see how the Lord uses these relationships to teach us more about him and to love each other better.
Now back to the part where I didn’t want to share about reading this book…. I few minutes ago, I was about to post the picture attached here to Instagram and share a shortened version of this post about how much I love my peeps and are so thankful I get to do life with them. Wouldn’t you know a friend from high school who I follow on Instagram had just posted a picture 
of a page of this book. But not just any page. NO. This exact page. Needless to say, I didn’t put it on Instagram. I wrote this post instead. For the love.
“Loneliness can be a prison, but we have keys. You needn’t wait for someone to open the bars. If you can make a pot of chili and use a cell phone, then you can create community.” (p.117)
Chili’s on, and we’re not watching tonight’s game alone!
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