It Aint Easy, But It's Good

I posted last week about this new book I ordered from Amazon. So far it has been good--really good.

As I was reading, this stuck out to me:

"Americans are good at forming clubs and gathering crowds. But clubs and crowds, even when-especially when-they are religious clubs and crowds, are not communities. The formation of community is the intricate, patient, painful work of the Holy Spirit. We cannot buy or make community; we can only offer ourselves to become community."

As I read this, I was reminded that relationships that go beyond the surface take time and energy and vulnerability and those things surley are not always easy. I think about people who I've formed deep "beyond surface level" relationships with, and those relationships are ones that have been forming over the past 10 years. And these relationships (that I believe we all desire) don't form over night--but when they do form and God blesses us with incredibly special people in our lives, it is then when you realize it's all worth it. One of the chapters in this book is entitled "For God's Sake, Don't Expect It to Be Easy". I love that title.

Relationships are not easy--but we want them to be. And that's where I believe this duality between wanting things to be easy and wanting things to be good comes into play--though too often the good things in life aren't the easy things.

For anyone who has found themselves angry at "The Church" in one way or another, I strongly recommend this book. I thought the book would be kind of idealistic and cheesy, but it's quite the opposite. It offers a realistic approach to following Christ and walking that road with others who love Him and love you--regardless of what skeletons are in your closet. Lord knows I have my share of them.