Welcoming

In a world where you and I are inundated with streaming data, information, images, messages, and a variety of things I do not know how to describe, I find myself more alone than at any time in my life.  Being a part of something, at times anything is desirable.  Knowing that one already belongs is often illusive.  Something inside of me wants to be part of a community that is meaningful.  I thirst to be part of a family that behaves as a family.  I have something within that needs to be in relationship.  Major events in one's life, traumatic or otherwise, tend to exaggerate feelings.
I came home to a quiet warmth and sense of peace.  Yet, everything was not as I expected it to be.  I opened myself up to a period of extended silence with God.  I could sense the invitation, waiting for my acceptance.  Even as I said yes, I found that God had brought his kids along!  I found myself bathed in emails, phone calls, as well as notes and cards.  Each carried their unique voice yet his and her voice echoes God's whisper of love, compassion, and family.
Community is a wonderful gift, often ignored in the chaos of the challenge of surviving, getting ahead, and at times winning.  God created it for us, inviting each to be part of the Divine family as God's kids.  It is an extraordinary invitation that I frequently overlook.  As I come back from the silence, the experience is candidly overwhelming.  I had no idea how others would respond to Cherry's updates.  It was as if she had stepped into the steps of those long before her.  “A day later they entered Caesarea.  Cornelius was expecting them and had his relatives and close friends waiting with him.”  (Acts 10.24)  The welcome, then and now, was overwhelming.
This event does not have to end here.  You and I can be agents for others, welcoming them to new opportunities and experiences.  It is a window reappearing with dawns and every introduction.  We can share God's embrace.