What are you bonkers about?

Community. What comes to mind when you see that word? I see a group of people who are passionate about something -- whether it's bird-watching, beer, or bible study. It's so fabulous when you are with that group of people and you can talk with them about your "thing" and know that they're right with you. You don't have to worry that they think you're a little bonkers because of your passion... ok, let's say the word -- "obsession"  -- with that particular thing. Because you know they're also a little bonkers about it.

When you find yourself part of a real community, it's a wonderful feeling... with none of the fear and uncertainty that comes with some of those high school cliques. Knowing that there are others out there who are like you in this one way makes you feel a sense of belonging.

I have a specific instance where that sense of belonging made me grin like a silly girl for a while. It happened while I finished up my Bible Study Fellowship (BSF) study last week, and I had to look up a few words for their definitions.

I use the Merriam-Webster online dictionary, and as I looked up these words ("iniquity", "transgressions", and "justify"... whew!), there's a space at the bottom of the page that asks you why you needed to look up these words. For all three of those words, just about every comment came from fellow BSF'ers who were working on their lessons, too!

That unexpected sense of community hit me like a silly stick and I was really happy for a while. It made me think of why I do what I do, and I have to say, BSF has been a great thing for me these past two years. The study of John last year and now Isaiah this year has taught me so much and changed my attitude in major ways.

And don't even get me started on how much I've learned as a Children's Leader this year... I use some of BSF's tips and techniques on my own boys and it's made such a difference. Like they say, there's no better way to learn something than to teach it.

Speaking of BSF, the lesson this last week has been on Isaiah's prophecy about Jesus and His death on the cross. Isaiah wrote the book 700+ years before Jesus was born, and he got all the details of the crucifixion down... before crucifixion was even invented as a way to kill people. It astounds me the amount of suffering that Jesus had to experience before giving up His life.

The emotions that come most often when I think about His sacrifice is grief... and gratitude. That's a strange mixture, but it's exactly how I feel when I think about how He suffered and died, not just for the whole world, but specifically, for me.

Pretty heavy way to start out the week, but that's the way the ball bounces, to quote a very happy senior citizen (I want to be old like this guy, and I'll write about him in another post!). I am bonkers about my BSF community and thank God for how I'm learning and growing as a person through BSF.

I kinda dragged you into my community with this post, but hope you learned something on the journey. Thanks for reading, and feel free to leave any comments here... I love to hear what you're thinking.

What's your community?