WEEK THREE: GET TOGETHER

When Hurricane Helene struck the United States in the fall of 2024, its path left a trail of destruction unlike any that had been seen in recent history. In the aftermath, many people stepped up to offer help and support for those devastated by the hurricane. In Newport, Tennessee, 22-year-old Tyler Venerable began using his orange forklift to clear out people's flood-ruined belongings. "I have a business here, have this equipment," he says. "There's people in need, so we're just going to give back to the community."  He told NPR that he's been sharing his number at the dump, offering to help people lug more than one item at a time. Other people have been connecting on Facebook, creating an informal network to help their affected neighbors. Venerable has even seen others pass out jugs of water so people can flush their toilets. "I just think that's what we're supposed to do. I'd be upset if I was sitting at the house." Many during that time felt isolated and alone, but it was Tyler and others like him who understood that isolation is not what people needed. They understood that people needed each other, and they stepped up to do something about it. Tyler Venerable didn’t know most of the people he was helping, but his willingness to become part of what was happening in that community changed the lives of many people.

That’s how God created us. We were created to be in relationship with each other. We were never supposed to be separated, isolated, and alone. As a relational being himself, God decided to create man in his image, and that means we were created for connection, not isolation. But sometimes that is hard. Sometimes it means we must put ourselves out there when it isn’t comfortable to do so.

But God had a plan for connection. God had a plan for bringing us together. It requires opening our hearts, becoming a little vulnerable even when it isn’t comfortable. It requires trust even when we may have been hurt in the past. It requires us putting aside our own agendas, our hang-ups, and our hurts to relate to others. But it provides encouragement, support, love, and acceptance that every one of us longs for deep down inside… and that brings comfort. There is something about being connected to a group of like-minded individuals that strengthens not only our personal lives but also our spiritual lives.

So as we go into 2025, where are you lacking in connection with other believers? What can you do about it to grow in community this year? Consider joining or starting a Life Group. Find a place to serve as part of a dream team. Invite some people from church over and take some time to get to know them. Community and connection are really that simple. It just requires us to put ourselves out there and (like Tyler) do something.