Falling Into Place

Most of my life seems to be characterized by falling into things. Certainly there are parts of the process where I am deliberate and make choices, but mostly life is random and ambiguous. That's how I experience it anyway.

Last Friday I went to a young adult gathering through Redeemer called Common Ground. I didn't know anyone there and went by myself. Turned out to be really quite amazing. We spent time in prayer and conversation about what we wanted the group to be and do. Not only did I get to meet some new people roughly my age, but they were all so different and each had their own unique story about life. One of the best quotes from the evening was about how we wanted to welcome new people to the group. Someone wrote "as if they were an old friend with whom we had lots of catching up to do." What a neat way to approach someone you don't know! Instead of seeing a stranger you see a friend; one who is worth your getting to know.

One thing I wanted to focus on this year was having a place to belong. Even though it's only a year, internship taught me that a year is ample time to make a difference in someone's life and for them to change you as well. Imagine my surprise in stumbling on this oasis of people who are looking for community. As an added bonus the group feels called to do some tangible, visible, committed service. Yet one more thing I really wanted to focus on this year and make a part of my life.

In all of this I am keenly aware that God has provided these opportunities for me. Not in a scripted sense, because there are other groups I could have joined or service places I could have committed to and likely found a way to belong. I am simply grateful that this oasis isn't a mirage. I've already had some wonderful conversations and I can't wait to get to know more people in the group.