Belong? Yes, please!
Is there a sweeter word in the English language than ‘belong?’ Maybe you would say ‘love’—but what is love, but the ultimate form of belonging?
When I meet someone for the first time, I ask things like, “Where do you work?” or “What is your family like?” I guess what I am really asking is; “Where do you belong?” If I have no first hand knowledge of you, I get an idea of who you are by where you belong.
Belonging somewhere places us in a community. And we were all born for a life lived in community.
So good questions to ask myself should not be limited to: “Where do I belong?” I should be asking:
“Does that place allow you to come along too?”
Is my community a place that does not nurture growth and acceptance? Because if it doesn’t; I need to get out of there. That’s more like a restricted club with seats for only a few. That’s not for me.
So will I join you in your travels? Of course!
Let’s face the sun together. But I want you to be sure that you are welcome into mine too. Let’s link arms with as many people as possible…because we belong together.
Linking today with: Five Minute Friday
http://lisajobaker.com/
I like this angle! Living a “belonging nowhere” life on the move, it reminds me to look at the circles I create to belong in as something for others to belong to… and be loved in.
Hi! Thank you for visiting here!
I like the ‘busy’ angle you suggested in your comment. With all that ‘stuff’ we forget to live with the real purpose of loving people through belonging. Thanks for that angle!
So good to meet you
Ceil
Shew. Haven’t looked at it like that before, but you’re right… it is really about ‘where do you belong?’
Hi Student Mommy!
Well, we are all looking for a place to belong here on earth…does it reflect the inclusive embrace that God is? That is a powerful question for me.
So nice to see you here
I hope we get to know each other better!
Peace in Christ,
Ceil
A lovely post, dear Ceil
When I think about the word ‘Belong’ I think about the joy of belonging to Jesus Christ.
Have a wonderful weekend! Hugs to you.
Hi Stephanie! And it is such a great gift to realize that we belong to Jesus…I think that knowledge helps me realize how much he depends on me to be his hands and feet in the world! (or typists!).
So nice to be back and ‘see’ you again
Peace in Christ,
Ceil
Dear Ceil
Yes, people were created to belong. Firstly to God in a deep intimacy and then to one another!
Blessings XX
Mia
Hi Mia! Oh, so true. How would we know how to help each other if we didn’t know God first?
Thank you for your sweet blessings
Ceil
Oh I really like this! It’s true, we are meant to live in community. Thank you for these words this morning. And for stopping by my blog and commenting. Blessings to you and yours!
Hi Melanie! It was fun to come to your blog and meet you
I am happy to ‘join’ you so we can be blog-buddies!
Happy Friday and Blessings to you too,
Ceil
We belong together! and I love how you shared your thoughts about belong in this post.
Have a blessed day Ceil.
Blessing,
Delvalina
Hi Delvalina! It is so nice to see you again!
I hope you have a blessed day too
Blessings!
Ceil
Thank you for these encouraging words. I have really been looking for the community that nurtures and grows me after being in that place that does not ‘nurture growth and acceptance’…it’s an exhausting place both emotionally, spiritually and physically.
I am being encouraged to help nurture my sisters in Christ and this helped confirm this. Thank you xxx
Hi Sandra! I am so happy to meet you through FMF!
Feeling unaccepted is exhausting…we should all pray to be in a place to confirm everyone in Christ, and I am glad you feel encouraged to do that. Imagine what our world would be if we all did that! It would be heaven on earth.
Thank you for ‘joining’ me here! It will be my honor to follow you too. Ah…community
Blessings,
Ceil
Coming from a small family that has dysfunction in it and marrying a man who is a loner-type, I battle some form of depression. Having belonged to a church that developed some issues that caused me to leave it. I have attended a church for quite a long time that I love and I love the people,but I have not joined for a couple of personal reasons. Will you pray for/with me that I make a decision on this issue of church membership. Thank you.
My friend Cecelia, You must know that it would be my honor to pray with and for you.
I am really sorry that you do not feel like you ‘belong’ to your church community yet. I will pray that God will give you the insight and confidence you need to make your decision, and lead you to him through a community of his people.
You are so precious to him, so important to him. I know that he will help you find the place that will nurture and lift you up. Jesus is there with you, loving you with his beautiful eyes and smiling face. I pray your church membership will bring you a shadow of that love.
Please let me know how it goes, ok??
Love,
Ceil
I want to belong in every circle I end up in! I think I am too much of a people pleaser =)
Hi Jenn! I am glad that you are a part of the circle in this blog!
I think it is human to want to belong, you are not alone in that at all. Maybe it’s because we want to please everyone, but maybe we like to find God in everyone we meet. It’s tough when we are not given the opportunity to find it because of rejection.
God bless your tender heart!
Blessings,
Ceil
This was so good. Thank you.
HI Karen! Thank you for coming by to visit. And I am glad that you enjoyed the post
Happy Friday!
Ceil
love this post.
Hi Denise! Thank you for coming today and reading the post!
Hope you have a blessed weekend
Happy Friday!
Ceil
It’s a blessing to belong…especially in a community like this. Happy FMF!
Hi Judith! I agree, the blogging community is so generous. And it’s so great to meet new friends through FMF!
So happy you came over to the blog. I hope you will come again so we can get to know each other better
Happy Friday!
Ceil
That is question I ask the Lord daily after my husbands death my children abandoned me and I walked away from everything going from having all that I wanted in life to having nothing overnight. At age 55 I found myself totally alone it has been rough and painful BUT I found out that When I am down to nothing God is up to something and God he has claimed me as his own.. WE all belong to him!
Debra, your story is just so incredibly touching and uplifting all at the same time. How blessed am I that you would share that with me, and the readers here. You have learned such a valuable lesson in life, you have found the Pearl Without Price.
Thank you for being such a good blog buddy, and such a source of inspiration to me. We do belong to him! And in him, we are the family he calls us to be.
Blessings,
Ceil