The beauty of community

Tonight my heart is full. I am so privileged and so blessed to be surrounded by God and by community. I had blogged about community before, but this has become my story for the last few months - and what I am learning is beautiful.

It has been a while since I blogged, because my life has been and is so full at the moment (but let me fit this moment into words). 

I just got back from an overnight songwriting retreat, that a few friends and myself joined in on. I ended up being so grateful about how Dad has and is continually blessing me with the kingdom's best. I am so honoured. 

A few years ago the Lord had told me to lay down my current closenit of friends. It was hard as we partied and did every rebellious thing under the sun together. We could change the world if we wanted to, but instead we broke down our own worlds through the teenage rebellion in our hearts. It was hard to follow instruction, but we were no good for each other at this point. Then after a while I became really close with a smaller and amazing group of people that went from us being 4 to us being 6. Things change, life takes dramatic turns because of the destiny we hold. Everything just happens so quickly. 

This time around the Lord had not told me to lay any relationships down, but due to destiny and the changing of seasons - we experience what we call transitioning periods. We grow, we move and we develop. 

The Lord had started connecting me to one, then through one I would meet ten. Through the ten I would meet 50. Then I would meet another one that would lead me to meet another 50. Before I knew it, I was surrounded by a community of like a 100 people. This had blown my mind, not just because I am extroverted and thrive off from being around people, but because Abba has connected me to heaven's best. 

Dad has connected me to two beautiful people who support and help me grow tremendously in my personal life and in ministry. These people both teach me different sides to Daddy God's heart! 

For personal reasons, I will not mention their names. One of these amazing people is walking with me a journey of counselling, mentoring and teaching. This for me was everything I needed in this season. I have been going through the process of becoming undone in ways that leave me so vulnerable and open to be okay with not being okay. I started learning what it means to be honest with myself, and this is probably one of the best things you can do for yourself. 

I have been living a lie all this time, that not being true to who you are and wearing a mask is actually okay - when it is so unhealthy! We go through church life and we pick up this unspoken rule that everything is always going "GOOD". "How are you? Good." "How's life going? Good". Lies man. We are not always okay with life and that is okay. We work through it. This is the beauty of community. 

If there is one thing you learn in community, it is learning vulnerability. In a room full of people, I would probably be the most vulnerable (generally speaking). I hate pride and when the testerone levels with men in the room are super high, I like die inside. I see pride in men, I see that in people who were hurt before, I see that in people who just don't like interaction with other people. It is the sense of not allowing people in. But you in for a culture shock if that person is you, because in community you cry, you laugh and you share crazy moments together, but it is all worth it. 

Community is such an important aspect in the kingdom. I know that once a wolf is in a pack, the wolf is motivated to feel stronger and more confident that he is doing just fine in a pack. Once the wolf roams alone, that is where the plane field of loneliness is tested, motivating us to do silly things. I have been stronger in these last few months as God just surrounds me with a very broad community. 

Back to the songwriting retreat... As the creatives were writing songs, chilling over coffee and just having a great time together, I sat back and I would just gaze. I gaze because I am in wonder of what Abba Daddy has blessed me with. One of the sessions, Monte the senior pastor of Numa Life led us into a spontaneous practical of singing our own story of what God has done for us in the last few months. As I embraced the session, I cried... I cried because I have fought with myself for so long. "Who will accept me?" "Who will understand my never ending drive for physical touch?" These are very real questions I had in my heart, and here I am REMINDED of how close He has been and how He has blessed me. 

My heartbeat is to lovie God and love people well. Everytime I am surrounded by my community, I end up so happy and overjoyed. It bring me great joy to even blog about this experience. 

I would encourage you, pursue God for your community. It is not something we force or rush into, but it is an experience Daddy blesses us with. All we need to do is stay connected to Him and be willing to become vulnerable. I believe that there is so much strength within community. There is so much love and so much accountability that is needed for all. It does not matter how you are wired, whether introvert, extrovert or ambivert - it matters to God because His heartbeat has always been family. There is so much to learn, and much of the learning of life comes from the community we choose to be intentional with. The people we choose to live life with. 

We are surrounded by beauty. We are surrounded by God. 

Insta: @rocoetzee

FB: Rowyn Coetzee

Shalom! Shalom dear friends! 

Thanks for reading.

Check out part of this song's lyrics, Steffany Gretzinger, Tell me the truth. Such a community song. 

"We're past polite
Been on both sides
Done a lot of life
Together

We're in the deep
Here talk is cheap
We chose family
Forever

Tell me the truth
Even if it hurts me, even if it's ugly
My heart is open
Tell me the truth
Without the self-protection
Love can mend what's broken
In me and you

If we'll be honest
Expose our weakness
We'll find we're strongest
Together..."