What is 5 minute Friday?  It is the dream child of Gypsy Mama.  She gives us a word each week and we are to write 5 minutes on it.

We aren’t to edit or second guess what we write.  Just write and post it.  Then, visit at least the person ahead of us and write a comment.  {I usually read mine over to be sure there aren’t typos…and that it makes sense! Then I add my links and photo and send it on its way.}

Feel free to take a look over at Gypsy Mama’s Five Minute Friday page for today…and look at some of the other posts on this topic.  Feel free to leave comments, especially if they are encouraging ones.

GO

photo: http://www.dreamstime.com

Connected.  That is how I feel in relationships.  But there are all kinds of connected.

Connected.  Sometimes we feel connected on only a level or two.

Connected.  Sometimes our connections with those we love are deeper and stronger.  They are based on common interests, long term relationships and shared experiences,

When we feel connected in our souls.  We have a lot in common.  Or maybe we don’t naturally have much in common, but we learn to love each other because of that connection…

We are often able to connect with people who are very different from us…in fact, the reason our friendship works is because we are different.

• We don’t have the same things that bug us.
• The same things that are irritations to them, don’t irritate me.
• They may be more introverted, I am more extroverted…or the other way around!
• They bring things to the friendship that wouldn’t be there otherwise.
• I bring things to them that they appreciate.

STOP

The connection that is helpful to me, apart from my connection to Christ,

is the connection with those in my local church.

There are people that I have come to appreciate as I have watched them over time.  They model the Christian life for me.  Are they perfect, NO.  That gives me hope.

I’m not perfect either.  God uses me sometimes to teach others.  How can that be?  Broken people, in a broken world, in broken churches…learning to connect by the enabling of the Holy Spirit.

There are people who have experienced life longer, walking with God through many circumstances.

They have learned wisdom.  I watch them.  I learn from them.  I ask them questions.  You know how wisdom is learned?  By making many mistakes!  By doing things and often falling on our faces.

Wisdom is not learned by sitting on the sidelines critiquing others.  Nor is it learned by sitting there safely and not trying a variety of ministries.

Wisdom is learned by being vulnerable.  By putting myself in a position where if God doesn’t intervene, the job will collapse and fail.  How scary is that?

God has provided community in His Body for the building up of each believer…

So we could be connected to God and to each other.

ARE YOU CONNECTED TO GOD?

ARE YOU CONNECTING IN A BIBLICAL COMMUNITY OF BELIEVERS?

photo: http://www.dreamstime.com/