I find these days that I have within me a sadness. Not because of something that is going on in my life but because of things that are going on in the lives of people I know and love... people I shepherd.
You see, I believe at the very core of my being that the church is to be a place where you can lean in and find support and encouragement, help for the journey, strength when the struggle is too much. And the sadness comes not in that the church is not that... but in that some people choose to lean out instead of leaning in when they are struggling with things. That some people choose to walk away from the very people who love them and are there to support and encourage them, to walk the mile and bear the load with them.
When we fail to share the struggle and just walk away, we will never realize the full potential of the blessing of being part of the body of Christ known as the church. When we keep our struggles to ourselves, we miss out on what could be. And when we walk away, we will never know the power of support that could be ours.
So, when this happens (and I see it happen alot), I find myself filled with a sadness for my brothers and sisters who have chosen to walk away and lean out rather than leaning in! And I find that my prayers are filled with a plea for God to help them realize the power of being part of the church that they are missing by walking away or leaning out!
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