just show up

 Tuesday nights are so sweet I've gotta say so.

We still call it small group, but with more than 40 people (17-ish of those kids), it's just a little church.

A little church who eats together, pulled pork, fajitas, salads, decaf coffee, angel food cake. Studies together, the last several months Revelation, verse by verse. Prays together, men on one side, women on the other, with tears and truth and transparency and praise. Follows up throughout the week with texts and memes and phone calls. 

Churched and unchurched, married, divorced, single, young, old. Farmers, lawyers, doctors, administrators, sales clerks, students, zoologists, piano teachers, realtors, managers, homeschool mamas, single mamas.  On the spectrum, one friend is blind, recovering addicts, one who has 65 snakes, one 39 weeks pregnant, a few dating, a mother-in-law, newlyweds, one who only prays in Spanish. We've got Jesus in common, either walking with Him or wondering about Him or wanting to. 

Sometimes someone shows up with the very enemies we've been praying for and I don't know if we should punch them or welcome them and I love it's that kinda church. Some stay for months or years, some people move on after a season, but the Lord seems to just always be there.

Matt ministers and teaches often and everywhere, but our current season has me always on the homefront and never alongside. Tuesday nights are my one chance outside the home to listen and learn and minister with him and I cherish that, too, kids in the background, ages Emma to 17, playing capture the flag and hide-and-seek.

The keys are nothing fancy: we gather, every Tuesday, no matter what...we eat together, breaking bread and serving one another...we study His word and nothing else...we share our burdens and blessings and joys and shames and fervently pray for one another.

The result (after hilarious, random, only-Jesus-could-have-brought-this-together family) is sweet and stretching community, and so much to learn from one another as we lean into Jesus.

I am SO thankful for the sweetest night of the week. 

If you're not in a place of discipling and being discipled, get something imperfect started, brew coffee, don't quit, and invite Him.  

He'll show up.