1. During my time here in Berlin I have met people with big hopes and dreams. Maybe they are practical dreams like trying to find a job. But maybe the dream is to make it big. Whatever the dream is, people come to Berlin to make it happen.
But a city is not what can make it happen. More opportunities can be found in the city, but it is not the city itself that makes dreams come true. I want to say it is the people. Meeting people that can help encourage you and challenge you. People that can point you in the right direction.
But what if you are new and don’t know anyone?
2. During my time here in Berlin I have learned (and am still learning) what it means to be Christian in this city. A Christian without the familiar community encouraging me, challenging me and pointing me in the right direction. It is like I have to re-learn what it is like to have a relationship with God outside of community. This is good. It makes me realize that maybe I was leaning on my community a little too much. I am so thankful to come from the community of believers that I did and I love them so much. It just gets dangerous when you start to replace your relationship with God with your relationship with people. And good people at that! I didn’t realize that I had done that until I wasn’t around them any more.
3. Some thoughts:
-Community is good and we were created for it. We should have it! But we shouldn’t replace our time with Jesus for time with our community.
-What if you were found in a place that wasn’t near your familiar community? (say you moved to a different country for example. Haha) What would your relationship with God look like?
-What are some steps you would take to help learn and hear from the Lord until you were able to find a new community?
I am finding community in Berlin. And I like it. I just need to be careful that I am turning first to God and not to people.
So to all of the people that have encouraged me, challenged me, and pointed me in the right direction, thank you. Whether I was in Texas or Berlin, thank you. If I was a newcomer or not, thank you.