Community

Something interesting that I have been think about for a few years now and have talked about and discussed for the last couple months with Shannon and our friends is the idea of living in community. Not just all in the same sub, but to be intentional enough to live in the same house or houses built on the same lot intentionally to live, share, and do life together.

This isn't a new idea and is actually something that people have and are practicing currently all over the world. I think though we look at the idea of having to share our space, having less space, or have community space tends to turn us off. We are brought up in a culture and society that teaches us we need so many square feet for ourselves and our spouse and if we have kids then we need that much more square feet.

This trend is starting to change with the tiny house movement in which people are building homes that are 400 sq ft or less. Many of them being 200 sq ft or less and most of the time they are on wheels so therefore can be moved with the family if they choose to relocate. Now there are more singles and couples living in homes like this but there indeed are families of 3 and 4 doing this as well. People are choosing  to do this to live simplistically, get out of debt, stay out of debt, and improving the over all quality of life by eliminating extra space and things that we really don't mean.

I would be lying if I said that when I heard about the whole tiny house thing that I wasn't interested. I was very interested to say the least. A little about me is I get excited about things and fixated as well at times. I  was newly married with my wife and daughter and another little one on the way. So the practicality of all of us living in  a tiny room on wheels wasn't a great point of conversation. Did I say we have a dog too? 2 Cats?

Ok so Shannon, who is extremely more patient with me than she should be, wasn' t doing cartwheels over the whole tiny house idea. Understandably so I can see now. Though at the time I was showing her many articles with families who did it and made it work and where better off for it.

But what I did do by presenting the idea was start a conversation of what we really do and do not need in our life and the idea of downsizing and living simplistically and below our means. By doing this our focus turns from our things and our space to our family and our friends. Sound familiar. "Love your neighbor as yourself mentality". If we aren't so focused on what we need and want to fill our lives, we may be able to focus on those around us a little bit more as well as ourselves n a holistic, holy way.

Ok, so back to the whole community thing. We have small group that has grown and changed over the 2 years we have been meeting and it has been a huge blessing to grow and learn along side the people we have invited into our home. We have been able to serve together, learn together, laugh together, mourn together, eat together, party together, celebrate weddings together, birthdays, anniversaries, engagements, and so much more. We are living life together to the best of our ability and it is hard at times with all of us in different careers, homes, locations, points in life. and so forth.
Many of these people have been watching Shannon and I raise our girls and the girls look to many of them as family.

So one night I decided to throw an idea out to a few people who were over about what they thought about all  living together in a large home where everyone could have their own bedrooms and such and doing life together. It was just a piece for conversation, but it was awesome to see the excitement and thought process that went into it.

We were looking at the benefits and negatives in it and we were struggling to see the real negatives. The biggest one we could come up with was privacy outside your room. That was pretty much it. We talked  about how if we all split the mortgage it would save everyone money, save money on food, bills, repairs, and many other things. So from a financial stand point it makes a lot of sense.

Also from the doing life together stand point we were thinking how it would be a huge change in mindset, but with the right mindset we could see an outstanding reward.

We would be able to have a community of people literally doing life together. Having to interact everyday and support one another in each others lives. We were even more taken back when people in our group started saying how they would want to take care and help raise our girls to allow us to have a break once in a while and have time for us. We were blown away that this was even mentioned  and I really started to see how and why this was such a powerful thing for the early church and early Christians to live in community.

The thought of coming home from work, or being home as others come home from work and people you have decided that you care about and you want to do life with are there. People that you can talk to about your thoughts, struggles, concerns with. People you don't have to pick up the phone to call. These people as well are allowing you to be financially free because the bills are split between everyone and the concern that money brings in not a worry or thought. Those people not just a part of your life, living their life along side of you, your spouse, your children. They are the second greatest influence to your children next to you. They are people that you trust and are allowing your self to be vulnerable to by allowing yourself to live in a community with them. What does that mean?

That means you are leaving your self open to allowing people to see you at your weakest and strongest. That is allowing people to see you when you are dressed your best and your worst. No hiding those uncomfortable situations in which your body makes a sound that only you wish you would have heard. I know it sounds silly but think about it with me. People making a choice to live in community to support, encourage, and challenge each other to grow and individuals, as a group, and in our faith collectively.

As I write this is get excited and passionate about this idea.  Now you all wouldn't have to live in the same house. I could also see a couple houses in the same area or lot or whatever you want. The  idea of doing life together daily intrigues me.  The idea of allowing people into your life on an every day basis I think could be something very powerful. I don't know really what more to say but I think that this is a thought, an idea, that has so much potential for good and growth that I can only hope that maybe it will continue to stir in me enough to take steps to draw those close to me even closer.