Everyone says it, but I'm going to say it again, we were built for community. I have always loved community and creating it has always come pretty naturally to me. However, that does not mean it has always been easy. My time here in Chicago has certainly been a test of that.
Growing up I lived in a small town where community was always the norm. When I went away to college, I went to a small private Christian university where community was taught and encouraged. We even took classes on how to create better community. I loved it! Growing up and in school I treasured deep relationships with family, friends, teachers, coworkers. Wherever I went I wanted to know the people I was with. I enjoyed knowing everyone's name and I loved that they knew mine.
And then I moved to Chicago, something I had been dreaming of for forever. Suddenly I was, and still am, a small fish in a much bigger pond. Part of what made community so easy in the past was the size of it. A small town and a small college made creating relationships a lot easier. Chicago is a much larger city and forming the community feeling I knew so well was suddenly much harder to do. I was so used to walking by people on the sidewalk and smiling or waving and saying hello or stopping to chat for a minute. Now everyone watches their feet or looks down at their phone, only looking up t0 see how much time is left to cross the crosswalk. The L rides are quiet, most people keeping to themselves, waiting to get off at their stop. COVID certainly has not helped this either. It is harder to connect with someone if you cannot see their smile beneath the mask.
So the move was certainly an adjustment, but slowly it has been easier to create that community I was missing. Getting out of quarantine played a huge part in this. I could finally see and meet people. I could start to build friendships and so I did. I began hanging out with some other students and now we hang out every weekend! I have been grabbing coffees and getting to know people on a deeper level. We go out for meals and explore new things! I also started a small group for CS students who wanted to join and I am super excited to see where our times together will take us.
I think I was so used to being able to create community so quickly that it came as a shock when I was not able to do the same thing here. I will admit, it was hard for me at first. I was not sure what to do. However, just because it is not easy does not mean it is not worth the effort. It most certainly is and we need to do it. It is about being intentional and reaching out. Some alone time is good, but we need other people in our lives, people who can share our experiences and be with us through the good and the bad. We are called to pour into each other.
I miss my communities at home, my family and my friends from school, but I am so thankful for the community that has been created here, even if it did take a little longer. I am grateful for this experience and how the Lord has used it to teach me something new, something I will be able to use more in life. Community is important, we are called to community with each other, sometimes it just takes a little extra work and that is okay,
P.S. If anyone has questions about community or creating community or any other thoughts on the topic, I am always available for conversation and I would love to connect! Feel free to DM me on social media or send a message through my site.
