A Reason to Get Up at 5:30

I am not a morning person. That’s why I was not too excited about getting out of bed when my alarm clock went off at 5:30 this morning. There are a few things that will get me out of bed before 6:00 am. Those things are Christmas, an important meeting, and coffee at Strudels. Strudels is a coffee shop about thirty minutes from my house. And on Thursday mornings I go there for a cup of coffee. But it is not the coffee that gets me out of bed.

What drives me to get up at 5:30 is the fellowship that I have while drinking that coffee. Two or three Thursdays a month I will meet a group of pastors at Strudels. We laugh, tell stories, share prayer requests, and even vent at times! But more than anything else it is just a time when we can encourage one another.

There was a time here on the field of Australia when I was struggling. Complicated issues had come up and I was faced with some very hard decisions. The fact that I did not have experience dealing with the kind of situations I was facing didn’t make things any easier. It was at that confusing time in my ministry when those times of fellowship became precious to me. The three pastors who I meet with have more than forty years of experience between them. And they were a great source of wisdom and guidance for me in a time when I didn’t know what to do.

I have come to Strudels on a Thursday morning struggling with discouragement over what was or wasn’t happening in ministry. But I was always filled with energy and enthusiasm on the way home. Why is that? I firmly believe that God created us to be relational creatures who would crave close relationships. Therefore that longing for happiness in our hearts can be filled through true community (friendship).

That community is something we should all seek after. A community where you can voice frustrations without wondering whether or not you will get in trouble. A community where you can share personal struggles without fear of judgment. A community where you will be accepted even though you aren’t perfect. A community where you can get help in a time of need.

The sad truth is there are very few communities like that today. But those close friendships can be developed over time. Of course there is a good chance of getting hurt, betrayed, or used in those kinds of relationships. But true community is one of the few things that can fill our longings for happiness much better than the worlds “junk food”.

That is why I am trying to develop other communities like the one at Strudels on Thursdays. Yes I will probably get more than a few emotional scars. But at the same time I will be able to feast upon the satisfaction that comes from true Christian community. And that is definitely something worth getting up at 5:30 for.