The Community Within The Community

Hello all, may God continue to shine His light upon you each and every day...today I am going to continue to expand on the ALS diagnosis. BUT at the same time; in order to do that I am going to have to take a step back to February 5, 2010. This was the weekend of Donna Porterfield Sullivan's benefit. This happens to be the very same weekend that I move back to Nederland. It is before I knew what was wrong with me, but after the slur had set in and there was no denying that there was something wrong with me. So I rapidly went from one status to another...from being a participant of a benefit, a supporter at a benefit for a friend and classmate...to the one who the benefit's are for. One of my closest friends ask me the other day how long it took to write one of my blogs; my reply was - "it depends on how involved the Holy Spirit is with me while I write that blog". In this particular case I actually started this blog shortly after the benefit in February. BUT it was not time for me to write on this particular subject. Until now...

I will be the first to admit; I was not shy about wanting to get out of Nederland when I was younger, but now that I am older I realize just how important my "hometown" is to making me the person that I am today. This past February there was a benefit for one of our own. Donna had developed a brain tumor, and her family and friends put together a benefit in her honor; to help with her medical expenses, and to just spend some time with her. I know things like this happen everyday somewhere in the world, but this was in "our hometown"...and people came from all over to show their support. And here in Texas when you say people came from "all over" - I'm talking about driving for hours to get here to support our classmate in her time of need.

I didn't think of myself as very popular guy, but I was known "of" - I guess...maybe a little more than I have always imagined. I have always kidded that I was known as "Joey Mitchell's older brother", because he was the football player, and where I grew up - that seemed to be a mandatory part of life and being recognized. BUT as I have grown and matured I have learn so much more about the place I grew up in, and the most important thing is the love we all have for "community". There is true love for "community" in Nederland, Texas. I don't, nor will I pretend to know what the definition is of "community" is in Webster's dictionary, but for this blog I am going to assign this definition to it: "community" - the place where you are most at peace. Who would have ever imagined that I would now be in that same position...and that I would now be at the receiving end of that very same love that was demonstrated in February. And I must admit that it is a very different position to be in...and I say this because I had always been in the position of being a person that was the "helper", and not the person that was being "helped".

So, that was one of the first things that I had to learn: how to let the people that now wanted to bless me...by doing things for me to do so. That is a little harder to do than what one would imagine, and I have had to rely on God a little more than what you would think...BUT I am learning how to do just that. Because I have to let the ones around me do the blessings too. While it is a different place to be, it is such a blessing to allow God to work through this process. And our community isn't just where we grew up, or where we went to High School...work...or go to church. According to my definition...it is where we are "most" at peace. So let us take that definition and take it one step further: let's apply it to "where ever" are...and for us to use God's love while we are at our "most" peaceful place. Because if we are at peace...we are walking with God...that is just how He rolls...He is a good God. He is the Prince of Peace...s let us take Him where ever we go and share Him with who ever we can. All it takes is showing His love. Which brings us back to our community and the love we all have for where we live.

until next time...

Father, we love You and appreciate You and all You do. We all strive to become that which You have designed for us to be. You are our rock, our stronghold our place of peace. We come to You today and everyday seeking You and all Your glory Father God. We ask You to be with us always Father. To bring us the "peace" that You and only You can provide. We ask You to be in the center of our "community" where ever our "community" resides at that moment, because it is You Father that is at the center of that "community"...these things we pray in Jesus' name, Amen.