Belong

Belong

There is no longer Jew or Gentile, slave or free, male and female. For you are all one in Christ Jesus.

WE WERE TAKING a short vacation over spring break close to home and decided to invite several friends to join us. As I prayed about who to invite, one family in particular came to my mind. We didn’t know them well, but I decided to ask them anyway. They responded back almost immediately and booked a place close to ours for the week. I was surprised, but also happy that they would want to join us.

The week of our trip, they, along with several other families, headed up to the resort. One evening during a shared meal with our group, my new friend leaned over and said, “Thank you for inviting us. Everyone is so welcoming.” I smiled back at her and told her how grateful I was that they could come.

Just an hour earlier one of our friends had asked her what it was like to move to our area and how their family had been received. “Terrible,” she’d replied honestly. “It took us a long time to make any friends.” My friend acknowledged her honesty, stating that he’d asked because he’d heard the same thing from many others who’d moved to our area. It wasn’t easy for new people to find a place to belong.

I shook my head in shame, because I knew that her words were true. I admit that I am not always the one looking to invite someone new. My circles can be closed off, as I stay comfortable being with people I already know. It takes intention for me to step outside of that and welcome others in, offering them a place of belonging.

The early church struggled with this too. There were people who belonged and those who didn’t. Their circles were closed off. But Jesus changed all of that. He admonished the walls that divided people and invited everyone into his family, giving everyone a place to truly belong. As followers of him, we should be the most welcoming of all people, seeing the value that is in everyone around us. People are desperate to belong, so let’s be the ones to offer them the invitation to join us.

Lord, help me to keep my relationship circles open and be willing to invite others in, offering them a place to belong.

-Kendra

One Good Step: Take time to ask God to show you who around you needs a friend and a place to belong and then invite them to dinner, coffee, or some other outing.