7/4/19
Living in a new state for the first time throughout the last year has been a new journey in creating a community. From the family we are lucky to be close by to, the newly married couples we have bonded with through church, to the best friends in pharmacy school, I have been blessed with support and love from an amazing group of people. As we finish our first year of marriage and gear up for the 2nd year of graduate school, I’ve been giving the concept of community a little thought.
We visited my parent’s church (and my former home church), North Boulevard Church of Christ, last weekend and heard from some close family friends teaching class. They talked about the greek word “anechomai” that is mentioned several times throughout the bible. Its english translation means “sustain, bear, or hold up.” I thought this word perfectly embodies the way my friends and family have treated me over the past year through so many changes and transitions. Galatian 6:1-2 says, “Gently and humbly help…Share each other’s burdens,” and I believe it is a charge to us as Christians regarding how to treat those around us.
An image that parallels how we are called to treat those in our community is that of “team lifting.” This is a picture you might see on the side of a heavy box on the shelves of Home Depot, but it is also a wonderful example of how my friends and family have helped me through the hard moments in the past year, and life. Things that you could never carry alone, suddenly are made manageable.
Another example that my mom brought up is that of a “sister joint.” This is a building term that refers to additional lumber used to reinforce sagging joists in the ceiling or floor structure. It is a wonderful image of an individual weakening because they’re holding up too much weight alone, but when we walk alongside them, they’re made whole again.
I would like to give a special thank you to my best friends, Alex Reaves and Emma Chandlee. Just a year ago we hadn’t even met yet, but through pharmacy school at Mercer, we have spent countless hours together and grown closer than I could have imagined. Through classes, lab, events, and studying, we have helped each other through the transition into professional school. We have traveled for a fun spring break and enjoyed professional conferences across the country together. We have comforted each other when we’re crying, exhausted, and can’t endure much more, we have celebrated when we have successes, and most importantly we have been constantly together through every step of the last year, no matter the situation.
I am so lucky to have a strong community surrounding me, and I hope I can provide the same support for them through whatever life may bring.
