"It takes a whole village to raise a child."

We are always saying how we should care for one another. We, however, rarely see it in action. We rarely see WHAT it looks like. I want to share a neat observation with you. We have had the privilege to have a mother and her son in our faith family. Recently we lost this mother and her son lost his mom. This was a tough time for both. The son has certain disabilities that require the need for minimal care. This guy captivates the hearts of those he meets. The longer you know him the more you love him. Since the lose of his mother, he has gone to live with his grandmother in another part of the state. This was really difficult for our faith family that has fallen in love with him. I actually had to navigate our body through this time, because everyone wanted the best for him. (How cool is that?) I can handle those challenges! As hard as it was to see him go, it has proven to be the best for him. He is in an enviroment of love and care. With that said, He is back for the summer! He has been here since school has let out. I have been able to observe some really neat things during this time. The greatest of these is the sense of community. You know the old saying; "It takes a village to raise a child"? It is true and when it happens it is a beautiful thing. During my observation I have notice that love is the core motivator. Love can tear people apart or love can unite them in a way that is divine. I have been watching a village of Jesus followers raise a child. Almost without verbal communication. The prime motivation is love for this guy. That love is blind of the provider. It is the same love no matter the person demonstrating it. I have also observed, that those raising this young man do not even notice what they are doing. They are so focused on him they do not see the reality of the moment. They do not see the impact they are making in his life, but also in others watching. That would include me too. They do not realize that they are setting the bar and standard for how we are to live together as a community. They are showing us what real church looks like. The other thing is they do not consider it to be work. I am watching mulitple families and people pour their lives into this child and no one is stressed or strained. No one is complaining about how much work it is or how hard it is to care for him. They just work together and share the load. They have been transfering him from one family to the next. (In a good way) Not because the work is hard, but because the other families are asking to have him over. Man, we need to see this! We need to see that this is how God has intended the church to operate day in and day out. In love, without fan fair, and sharing the load. The example is biblical and now it is right in front of us. No one is worried, stressed, or side ways. This observation is the exact way we are commanded to live with one another in faith. If this is not us, we need/must ask and answer the question why. Then we can enjoy raising other "children", but it takes a whole village working together to do so. A village doing whatever is needed and excited about it!