Community is a Two Way Street

Hello Fellow Travelers! I just had a quick thought that struck me afresh this evening that I wanted to share with you all. Said thought jumped out while I was working on a school paper which, in part, dealt with the relationship between individuals and their communities.

In considering the practical implications/applications of my thoughts on the topic, it struck me that being in community is a two way street. Or, as I jotted down in my paper outline: "Not being an island involves giving as well as receiving support." Yet again, Sheldon Vanauken in his book "A Severe Mercy" puts it this way: "Thus one might wake the other in the night and ask for a cup of water; and the other would peacefully (and sleepily) fetch it. We, in fact, defined courtesy as 'a cup of water in the night'. And we considered it a very great courtesy to ask for the cup as well as to fetch it." (underline mine)

We all live in communities of some sort, and in those communities there are opportunities for us to both extend a helping hand as well as to receiving the helping hands of others. The question is, are we doing both of those? I know I'm not. It is much easier for me to extend the hand than for me to receive it. Perhaps for you though, it might be the other way around. As we enter the New Year, perhaps one area of life for which we can consider setting new goals would be how we view the community around us, and looking for ways to be more purposefully involved, both in giving and receiving.

Which side of the street comes most naturally to you? What are some of your plans for improving on how you interact with the communities you are a part of?