Like most of the world, a little over a year ago, I left my job on March 13th (do I even have to write the year 2020? It will be infamous…) with rumors of an extended spring break due to COVID. Little did I know, when I said goodbye to my students that day, it ended up being our final day together. I know we all have a lot of feelings when we reflect on the past year and all that it brought.
One of the places I missed most, of course, during lockdowns and quarantines was gathering in our church. I longed for the community to be together, worship together, and walk together (NOT on Zoom) through life. Now that the cases are down, vaccines are up, and life is heading “back to normal”, I keep thinking about those who faced hardships during the pandemic and didn’t have a community to turn to.
We were not created to walk through life alone, and if anything could prove that, it is a pandemic that emphasized our loneliness and isolation. As we return “back to normal”, let’s remember those who don’t have a place or a people to turn to in challenging times. Like Pastor Rick has said so many times in this last year, if there is any time for the church to be the church, it is now. Let’s reach out to our brothers and sisters who are looking for hope. We have it! Let’s share it.
I challenge you to meet five new people this week. Slow down your week and actively choose to engage with people at your grocery store, gas station, workplace, gym, etc. Invite them into your life with one dinner, get together, book club*, or coffee meet up.
Be intentional. We are the light.
*CRBC Women’s Summer Book Clubs are starting and are a great way to invite people into your community! Sign up for one here or ask about starting one yourself by emailing me at walker@councilroad.org!
Meet the author!
Becca Walker is a 2nd grade teacher in Edmond, Oklahoma. Her passion for kids mainly comes from the fact that she herself is still just a kid at heart. She and her husband, Brennan, love to serve in the church that they call home. Becca’s main loves are her family, her pups Wrigley and Rizzo, Old Navy, and of course, the incredible community at Council Road Baptist Church.