Don't Go To An Island

 Don't go to your own island please!!!!  Dawn, what in the world are you talking about anyway? 

**Today's pictures are again brought to you by our vacation from August to Louisiana ;).  As you can see sometimes at camp little boys get to take a bath in the kitchen sink.  The rest are from an afternoon of mini golf at the Christian Camp we stayed at that Jason and I used to direct.   

 When I say don't go to your own island I am referring to the fact that ALL of us were meant to live in community!  We were NOT MEANT to live on our own, and yet so many times we retreat to our island. 

 There are many types of islands.......
Physical Islands where we happen not to live close by those we love or get along with or have known for years and years. 

 Emotional Islands that we build up with walls that are up because of things from our past.  These islands distance us from those around us that want to be in community with us. 

 Spiritual Islands where we just can't seem to fit in with the church we attend or the friends we have just aren't on the same page with us spiritually. 

*Note I am not talking about denomination but rather just not felling as those around us understand our spiritual needs or how we feel God working in us.   

 Islands surrounding a specific situation either a one time situation or ongoing situation. 

So let's say you experienced the loss of a child......through miscarriage, through a failed adoption, through a car accident, etc.  Sometimes it can be like what I have posted about in the last 2 posts- the Super Mom Myth or From the Outside Looking In.  Sometimes it can be a stay at home mom or a child who is being bullied by others at school. 

 Whatever OUR ISLAND is we struggle in some way with wanting to "retreat" and go off alone.  Now I am a social person by nature.  I really enjoy having company, talking with people on the phone, texting back and forth, blogging, having our large family, etc. 

 Although those are all things I enjoy, and I am an extrovert, I can still place myself on an island really easily.  I can avoid saying anything on my blog about what is really going on in my heart.  I can put off telling others around me and just keep everything inside.  I can even keep it deep inside and not even share with my husband.  Worse yet.......I can pretend that God doesn't have a clue what I am thinking or feeling and I can withdraw my true praise and worship from Him!

 Islands are so very dangerous!  They can leave us feeling empty, worthless, and depressed.  Islands are not from GOD!  He created each and everyone of us to rely and be in fellowship with others.  Why else would he continually remind us to pray for each other, that we are the body of Christ, that we need to cast our cares on Him?  Because we can really only do those things together! 

 What glory shines on His face when we come together and worship Him in our actions-
serving others,
saying hello with a smile as we go through our day, playing with our children,
calling that friend you haven't seen in a while, feeding the homeless,
praying for those we can not physically be with right now,
asking for guidance to accept others as they are,
giving a hug to the friend in need of prayer,
writing a FB message just to say you are praying to a sweet friend you can't be with in person, touching the hand of the person beside the road asking for help......and on and on the list goes! 

 In fact.  I imagine all of heaven dancing with joy over the new believer as well as when we as the Body of Christ serving others!!!!  I can picture it now......Jesus smiling the biggest smile because His Children are caring one for another. 

 Oh, but those islands are so easy you say.  Yep, they are.  It is easier not to talk about our feelings.  To post statuses on FB that don't mean anything.  To just masquerade like we are ok, but on the inside we are broken.  All. of. us. are. broken! 

 So when things get tough- I REPEAT!  When things get crazy, unbearable, unthinkable, and we are hurting........we are desperate......we have no idea who to turn to because someone might think we are crazy!!! 

I REPEAT AGAIN!!!!  DON'T GO TO AN ISLAND!!!!!!!!!  Instead cry out to God first, then go to someone!!!!  Go to a Bible Study, go to a house group, life group, church, another family.  PLEASE I AM BEGGING YOU DO NOT TRY TO DO LIFE ALONE!!!! 

 You see I believe that the root of our enemy is to separate us from others and from God. 

So when we struggle as a parent and can't handle the behaviors of our children we retreat and don't say a word because well there will be those who criticize! 

When our marriage is falling apart at the seems we don't say anything because there will be those who look down their noses at us! 

 FIGHT that urge to say I won't come off my island because someone may not get it.  Because I have tried to explain my heart to my spouse, but they won't listen.  I have tried a life group or church, but I didn't fit there either.  KEEP FIGHTING! 

 The reason there will always be those who think you are off your rocker, make fun of you, tell you that you aren't doing it right is because of sin.  Plain and simple. 

 To my friends who struggle and I mean huge struggles with their children, to my friends who are being ridiculed because their child has HIV, to my friends in other countries who are stressed beyond reason with living in a foreign land and having satan work against their ministry, to my friends who are struggling in their marriages..........

 These two girls are not sisters by birth.  Their stories are so very different.  Yet God had a plan to bring them together. 

 These children are meant to live in our community of family. 

 Some days it is hard, very hard work! 

 Some days they or I or both choose to retreat to our islands. 

Some days we too remember Don't Go To An Island........

Psalm 133

A song of ascents. Of David.

¹ How good and pleasant it is
    when God’s people live together in unity!

² It is like precious oil poured on the head,
    running down on the beard,
running down on Aaron’s beard,
    down on the collar of his robe.
³ It is as if the dew of Hermon
    were falling on Mount Zion.
For there the Lord bestows his blessing,
    even life forevermore.