ramblings about communal living

its been a while since I blogged.  I don't have a computer right now, so I'm using my Twaddle account on the Flatlanders common Mac.  (I think Twaddle was a word invented by a former flatlander to describe what happens when we go onto the computer for fun.. we twaddle away time.)  We each have a one hour slot each day.  Owen has already been on mine, so this post may be cut short...  its amazing how much life changes when you are 'unplugged' for an extended period of time.  I actually kinda like it.  My school work pile just grows and grows, though; so December will be a heavy and pressure-filled month!

Lots of people ask us (and not only us, but all Flatlanders) a few questions pretty regularly.  They go something like this: 

How is it really?

What do you guys do all the time?

Here are some thoughts in response to those questions:

• community living, or just genuine community period - is HARD.  It's also tremendously GOOD.
• There is a rhythm to our days and weeks that includes worship, prayer, fun, food, sharing responsibilities, talking about deep things, and just hanging out.  Amid the rhythm are things that pop up that we need to respond to.  The response-requiring things are often challenging, and each member of the community responds a bit differently.  Flexibility and self awareness are so important, as are an appreciation for diverse characteristics and a teachable, open spirit.  When these traits are absent, we all suffer.
• Addiction will rule the roost unless we're really intentional about how we respond to its presence among us.
• Acceptance of, and even appreciation for tension are required daily.  There is tension between personalities, between structure and the lack of it, between wholeness and brokenness, between isolation and vulnerability ... the list could go on and on.  My tendency is to FIX; or at the very least ADDRESS the tension.  I am learning to overcome myself!  Community is an exceptional teacher if we can tolerate the constant exposure.
• When I think of 'what we do',  the word presence comes to mind.  We are present for one another, or at least we try to be more often than not.
• Obviously, there are practical things we do.  We drive people to appointments, we go to court dates, we make banking changes, we facilitate experiences that encourage growth and understanding, we cook together,  we volunteer together, we work through issues together.  We talk about flashbacks and unfortunate formative experiences.  We go for walks and buy groceries.

As I evaluate the first quarter of our year of service, I cannot believe how much I've already learned.  This experience is so good, so challenging, so valid.

Thanks for reading, thanks for praying with us.