If you ask some people that know me they will tell you...I am always thinking. I never realized how true this was until a friend of mine one day said, "Abby, do you realize how much you think! You're always starting a sentence...I was thinking the other day." I thought this was normal. My response was something along the lines of, "Yeah, doesn't everyone have a million thoughts going on in your head all the time?" Apparently not. Well with all these thoughts, facts, observations, opinions and questions that go on in my head I always love when I hear someone say something that just clicks. I don't know if I can explain it besides the fact that when I hear it, it's almost like a puzzle piece that has been floating around inside my head found its place in the puzzle.
This happened when I read Shane Claiborne's book, The Irresistible Revolution, this happened when I attended my first CCDA conference, it happens when I read Rachel Held Evans' blog, it happens when I have certain conversations or spend time with certain people in my life. That moment that I hear something from someone or experience something and it just makes sense.
A few weeks ago I had the pleasure of spending time with a few people who are connected with CCDA and I was sharing how I was reminded of how just randomly one day in college I had the overwhelming urge that I wanted to start a church that was also a community center that provided resources for that community and that I would live in that same community. This just made sense to me. I thought this was an original idea...and then I attended the CCDA conference, which that is exactly their model and like a puzzle...another piece was put in place.
Well, I was sharing this and my new friend said something like, "It's interesting with all my work within Christian Community Development it seems like there's something inherent in a remnant of people where it just makes sense. It doesn't make sense to approach ministry any other way and it's hard to understand how people don't get it."
He described me perfectly. Another piece in place. I've never quite been able to explain this calling on my life and why I do what I do. It's almost like I can't help it. I truly and honestly believe that living in the community where I work is so important...no matter what work I do.
I'm thankful today that another piece of the puzzle was put in place. I'm thankful for people who are so much more articulate than I am (because let's be real...I struggle) who share their opinions and share truth so I can have these, "Aha...me too!" moments. I'm thankful that my mind is a puzzle and that we're created to keep on discovering things. I'm thankful that I'm realizing I will never have everything figured out and that's okay.