Wrestling season

If any of you didn't know, my husband has been a teacher and wrestling coach at Woodburn High School for 7 years. He is amazing at this! For 5 years he has been head coach and for 5 years he has put his whole heart into this team, at least from November-March. As his last year unfolds the wrestling team is actually showing the fruits of his labor, they are working hard, attitudes are improved, they have a full line-up, they are winning, and the team is looking more solid than ever.
(This post wasn't really meant to be about Andy's team but I had to give my hubby some accolades, he is doing great!)
Anyways....the point to all this talk on wrestling is that really, this is the hardest time of the year for poor little me. I am often reminded of all the women out there who have husbands who travel all throughout the year, and I stop my complaining for a little while. So, all those women out there who have husbands who are gone all the time, I feel for you.
It has become a little easier each season, but not because of anything other than the fact that me and Jesus are a little closer each year. He has done an amazing work in my heart over the last 7 years of wrestling seasons. All of that to say, there is always something missing. My husband, for one, but community has been on my heart this year. I long to live in true community. I have actually said to Andy that if we are to ever "settle down" again, in community is how I'd like to live.
I know that God has everything I need. Yes, I agree with that. But did He make us so that we could live all on our own and pretend like we didn't need anyone's help? NO! I need people. I need help. My children get tired of me and would like to look at someone different for a while. I need people to be available! Available. Is that even a word anymore? The only available ones I know are my other friends who have children of their own and may even be going crazy themselves! What happened to the older women who had time to give? Who is stopping for a moment to see who needs help?
Now, I'm not just talking about someone to just take my kids. I'm not looking for a babysitter (ok, sometimes I am). I'm looking for someone who is ready to give a helping hand, ready to be a friend I can talk to, or someone to just hang out and give me a little accountability.
Our society and culture has destroyed this mentality. Yes, destroyed. Community? What is that? I have a garage door that closes right behind me when I park my car so that I don't have to talk to any of my neighbors. Neighbors? Who are they? Time? Who has time?
My neighbors are great. We actually have friendships with them. One of my neighbors actually takes our dog for walks at least 2-3 times a week. I try to have coffee with another neighbor once a week. The kids and I eat dinner with another neighbor and her kids sometimes 2 times a week. My neighbors know that I love Jesus. Don't get me wrong, I am overly blessed with amazing people all around me. I continue to look for more neighbors who are ready to be "neighborly". But how many mommies, daddies, women, men, are out there afraid to go and ask for help? A community happens only on purpose, not by accident. Who is ready to be available? Who is ready to sacrifice some time for the sake of someone else? True, real community is hard, sacrificial, and can sometimes get fleshy but working through that and learning to love and accept is SO worth it, don't you think? I can't wait till Heaven, just for that.
So, I challenge all of you out there to look at your calendar and clear off a few things so that you can just be available. Available for the Lord to use you in someone else's life.