Lethal Lack of Community

It's July. What the heck? Time is slipping away from me so quickly here. A lot has happened since I have last written...more than I can catch you up on, my bad - bear with me...I'm just going to choose a couple of things to write about.

As for a quick miscellaneous life update...My friend Shawn Hyde who is currently doing an internship at Saddleback in Orange County went to India for a month - and has let me borrow his car for the last couple of weeks. What a blessing that has been. Needless to say, I am a pro at driving in LA and actually enjoy it somewhat. I feel like I am on Mario Cart or something...it's like a game to me...So praise the Lord for a vehicle and many trips to the beach and to Yogurt Land. Secondly, Kristin Borden just left this morning...she came and visted me for a couple days and we had a great time. It was refreshing to see a familiar face. She even got me to eat sushi while she was here...big feat. We went shopping maybe 234 times during the four days she was here :) We also went to Laguna Beach and rode a trolley (yes trolley, i felt 84 years old, but it was cute) alongside the beach and through the mountains...beautiful.

As for life at the Dream Center....everything is going wonderful. I am still being amazed by this ministry and the people I am serving alongside. Just to touch on a few of things that have happened recently...I went out on food truck one day last week and had the opportunity to have a pretty in depth conversation due to some LA traffic with the ministry leader as well as another one of my guy intern friends....Alfred, the ministry leader spoke much truth during our time together. He was heavily involved in the gang scene before Christ transformed his life and took him as His own. He taught me a lot about the history of generational gangs in LA...and you would be shocked at the statistics regarding gangs in this area. A couple of things that we conversed about have really been on my heart and in my mind over the past 7 or 8 days. Within the walls of the church or even just in everyday life...we focus way too much time on solutions. I want to fix everything and everyone. In my heart I know I am unable to do this - but even so, I want my Jesus to fix them, fix the situation, fix the mess, or solve the problem. Life, business, relationships, church, ministry, school - I am always searching for a solution of some sort. Being a perfectionist, this is often magnified within my own life. Alfred explained the greater need for compassion versus solution. Generational gangs cannot be fixed with a bandaid. You cannot find a quick fix for something that is rooted so deeply in sin. Period. When I think compassion...I don't necessarily associate the word with much power. However, great revelation is being called forth in my life that there is immeasurable power in the compassionate spirit. So Lord, give me compassion. I want Your eyes, Your ears, Your love...Beyond this, Alfred also discussed what he called "the lethal lack of community in LA". There is much to be learned about this. We build churches in America, not community. I find it be the greatest downfall of the western world. We were made for community...and one will search till he finds it whether it be in a gang, in a neighbordhood, in a club, or in a church. The responsibilty is mine..its ours, as the Church to cultivate community -- open your eyes, look around...the world is screaming and reeling for community.

Today, I was out at Skid Row for the afternoon with our ministry Under the Bridge, feeding hot meals to the homeless. I had the sweetest conversation with a sixty year old woman, Frieta. She is currently in the process of coming off of meth and heroine. I was drawn to her immediately and I got to talk with her for nearly two hours. We laughed a lot, and she was so encouraging to me with her words. She was a little bit concerned that I am twenty-one and not dating anyone...she didn't quite understand, but she wanted me to know that I did not need to wait until I was thirty to start a family. She told me that I better find him soon - I told her I was confident he is going to find me :) All I could do was laugh...that conversation is a reoccuring theme in my life...but It's cool how the Lord always opens up opportunities for me to share about my life in Him and why I do what I do. Today was weird because my heart was broken and encouraged all at once. That makes zero sense - but that's the best way I know how to put it. I prayed for her at the end of the afternoon and didn't want to leave her. I cannot tell you how many times I just wish I could have my Xterra here and load up four women off the streets and take them home with me and spoil the heck out of them...so that they might know what life is, what life abundant is with my Jesus. Oh that they might know...I am believing that one day they will. How I long for that day...when He makes all things new.

I am delirious. Forgive the jumbled thoughts...but I have been getting hate messages about the lack of blogging here lately...so I wanted to write really briefly before I went to bed. Goodnight. Figure out a way to cultivate community today - community that is fixed on Christ...include some new people in your community today. Talk to someone on the street corner. Bless someone in your office building, heck - bless a couple of people. Take someone random to lunch. Spend a little extra time communing with our Maker so that you might have a better vision of what community is supposed to look like. Get out of your world...and get in someone elses. You don't need an invite.