Community is this month’s prompt for The Peony Project link up — and so I’ve been pondering this word for a few days. Growing up, community didn’t mean too much to me, it was synonymous with the words town, city, etc. It was a place. But now that I’m older I see that that that’s not quite the truth. Community is more than just a place. It’s a feeling of belonging, of love. 

I haven’t yet talked about my group of friend’s that refer to ourselves as MG’s. These ladies and I met in 2008 (some of them met a bit earlier) via a facebook group called “Waiting for a Missionary” {that whole experience is it’s own blog post} and we quickly connected through the group, and then in person. We had an instant bond, and we’ve stayed friends since that fall. We have our own, small facebook group now, where we still go to tell each other of our achievements or failures, our life happenings, since now we don’t live as close as we used to, some of us are out of state, and we are just more busy, too. These wonderful women and I have created our own community. A safe haven, a place to feel loved, even when we don’t all see eye to eye.

I have another, similar group of friends, who I also stay in close contact with. These dear hearts are so special to me, and I love when we are able to get together and chat and laugh and cry. We have strange and random conversations, quote movies and TV shows endlessly, and just all around love each other.

And lastly, a community that is still new to me, but already dear to my heart — The Peony Project. It’s yet another online community, and I have learned so much from being a part of it. Read more about it HERE and if you’re looking for a community full of honest-to-goodness good and Christian bloggers and friends, look no further. 

I’d like to leave you with a scripture, that to me, sums up the very essence of community. 

“Ye are desirous to come into the fold of God, and to be called his people, and are willing to bear one another’s burdens, that they may be light; Yea, and are willing to mourn with those that mourn; yea, and comfort those that stand in need of comfort, and to stand as witnesses of God at all times and in all things, and in all places that ye may be in….”

Let us all stand together, that each other’s burdens may be light, and build up the community, even the kingdom, of God.