The Power of Community

Over the past few weeks, I've had two good friends deal with very difficult times. In those scary moments, I have been reminded about the power of community. Within hours of each situation, our group of friends had taken care of the basic needs - meals, childcare and lots of prayers. As I've processed what the last two weeks have brought, I've realized that community provides so much more than tangible things.

I think we often downplay the importance of relationships, especially as mothers (and fathers if any guys are reading this). So frequently, we feel that we need to prove ourselves by taking care of everything. We want to put on a strong front and make people believe that we are maintaining complete sanity at all times. The problem is that we can't do that. Literally. We are not capable of handling everything that comes up in our lives by ourselves. Even if we could, would you really want to? That is a lot of pressure!

I find myself completely guilty of trying to be some type of supermom. Unfortunately, I often turn into a super mess in those moments. Why do I feel the need to act like I've got it all together? Usually, it's pretty clear that I do not have things together. Not even a little bit.

My friends remind me that it's ok to be a mess sometimes. They have seen me wear the same thing back-to-back days. They know that when my hair is up it means I haven't washed it in two days. They have seen me lose my cool with CJ. They know that my Type A personality gets in the way more than I'd like to admit. They have seen my house in a complete disarray. Even through all of that, they love me. There is no judgment.

I consider myself blessed that I have such dear friends that I can call on at anytime for any reason. Over the past two years, these women have prayed for me, encouraged me, held me accountable, made me laugh and poured me lots of glasses of wine. :) I hope that each of you has a strong community that you can rely on at all times!