Thursday, May 22, 2014

Five Minute Friday - Close

Five Minute FridayOn Fridays a bunch of brave writers gather here to all spend 5 collective minutes writing on a single prompt. It’s a great way to catch your breath at the end of a long week. This blessed, beautiful place where we open our hearts and let words and tears and the inner workings of our lives bleed and flow and dance across the virtual pages. Yes, this community opens wide and invites you in to share. Come and visit and read. You will be blessed.

This week: Close

Go

In all truth, we are so wide-spread that if this were a hundred years ago – goodness, if this were fifty years ago, I’m not sure we’d even know each other. The wonders of the technological age have allowed bridges to be built and roads and rivers to be crossed in ways that have not happened before.

The community that gathers here around the Five Minute Friday prompt; that spills out from the blog posts at (in)courage – these are some of the most sincere and amazing friendships I’ve made. Ever. It begins with the freedom of a somewhat anonymous exploration through social media – who will see all the cracks and crevices of my real life when filtered through the lens of Facebook, Pinterest, Twitter, and Instagram? Who will have to bear with the brokenness of the real me when all they’ll see is my status updates and carefully framed pictures?

Good luck – that doesn’t last. Something happens after a brief while, and the women you’re chatting with online begin to take on a third dimension. Real prayers are shared; real joys are celebrated; real sorrows are lifted up as real hearts shimmer across the bits and bytes of data current to hold each other close and lift each other up.


Other elements are added and relationships bloom in small group communities and through letters that manage to grace real mailboxes at just the right time. How those words curl gently off the page like a wisp of candle smoke – just puffed out – to carry the love and encouragement of a friend you’ve not met in person. Yet.

One day, there will be tea, and leisurely hours spent laughing and chatting – watching a face you’ve known only as a profile come to life and a thousand different ways. A voice you’ve known only as a comforting lifeline on Voxer will be just a heartbeat away through a smile. And the words that have spilled only online in comments on in letters and cards will wrap themselves around you with the hug that you’ve been waiting for. 

There is nothing like community when the heart of that community is Christ. When each member turns towards the other to ask: how can I serve? How can I lift you up? Doors are thrown wide and everyone is welcome. There is a space here for you.

Stop







How to Join
Want to know about Lisa Jo Baker, how Five Minute Friday got started, and how to participate? All the details are here. No editing or second guessing. And then absolutely, no ifs, ands or buts about it, you need to visit the person who linked up before you & encourage them in their comments. Seriously. That is the rule. And the fun. And the heart of this community.

I'd love to connect with you some more - stop on by the Three Bees Facebook Page or connect with me on Twitter @3BeesBlueBonnet. Let's continue the conversation!

14 comments :

  1. visiting from FMF- love this, it is the heart of the community of writers that we see each week and the connections run deep!

    ReplyDelete
  2. This is a beautiful post! I love the reminder that everyone is welcome. We all need to here that every now and again!

    ReplyDelete
  3. "There is nothing like community when the heart of that community is Christ." Wow, I wish I'd written that sentence! Beautiful words from a beautiful heart, dear one. I'm still looking for the day when we sit and enjoy the tea!

    ReplyDelete
  4. Such a beautiful picture of the beauty of community! It is amazing how layer upon layer so many reveal their beautiful hearts and souls and they are received with grace and love. I am still so very new to this community but so very blessed. Thank you Rebekah for your gracious and beautiful words and spirit. Sometimes I feel like I am taking these shaky fawn-like steps, but they are always so kindly encouraged. Looking forward to posting later, but just had to stop and read your posting now. Loved it. :)

    ReplyDelete
  5. And what I love is that you can have tea and I can have coffee (decaf), and we can still be friends :).

    ReplyDelete
  6. this was incredibly sweet and all I kept seeing was you sitting next to me at the Faith & Culture Writers Conference and me realizing it was you. And how happy I was to see you...in real life. These connections are real and your words are a testimony to all the good God does online. connecting from Five Minute Friday. Have a great weekend Rebekah!

    ReplyDelete
  7. Very good description. A good, close community is a wonderful blessing.

    (Although,when I first read the title, I was thinking of "close" as in the opposite of "open.")

    o)

    ReplyDelete
  8. The community of writers on Five Minute Friday and of women coming together through the efforts of (in)courage are a joy and help. I always enjoy your insights.

    ReplyDelete
  9. I love you, friend! I love these little communities online where we gather and I love that we are close enough inrl that we have been able to sit across from each other over tea or coffee and laugh and visit! Soon... we need to make that happen again soon!

    ReplyDelete
  10. What a beautiful celebration of this community. Sure appreciate you, Rebekah, and the ways you draw people together. Such a gift. xoxo

    ReplyDelete
  11. Amen to community! I love the online writing community. It has been such a blessing to me! Blessed to be visiting you today from the FMF link up! Happy weekend!

    ReplyDelete
  12. Love love love!!! This is why this.is such an amazing community! Well said, friend!

    ReplyDelete
  13. Reading this just makes my want our half-way meetup to happen even more.You have become such a cornerstone in my community and I thank God for you each day. I can't believe what God is doing in my life through and with this amazing community.

    ReplyDelete
  14. "There is nothing like community when the heart of that community is Christ. When each member turns towards the other to ask: how can I serve? How can I lift you up?"

    Yes! I love this. I want to lift up and serve others that God has placed in my life. I treasure the community that I have found through Five Minute Friday and Incourage. I hope that you have a lovely weekend.

    ReplyDelete

Thank you for the kindess of your comment. I pray your patience with the word verification. I've had such troubles with spammers lately. Thank you for grace. I look forward to reading all the comments and responding. I appreciate you!