How to Get Pumped Up
One Sunday afternoon in our first house in Little Rock, we were lying around the living room, reading books, and napping on and off, when we noticed a number of neighbors out in their front yards. We stepped outside to see what was up. The power had gone out, so everyone was checking to see if others had power or not.
People started talking. Some food made it outside. A football showed up. Guys started tossing it back and forth. Before you knew it we had an impromptu street party happening. And then the power came back on. People sheepishly started to sneak off, to ‘finish watching the game.’ One couple said, half jokingly, “This has been great, I’ll see y’all again the next time the power goes out!” The one thing we all needed, human community, happened naturally when distractions were removed, and disappeared when those distractions returned.
I’ve turned to Arnold Schwarzenegger as a source of entertainment, but I never thought I’d use him as a source for the reason why you should go to church. In a recent version of his daily “pump club” email, he said this:
“Research suggests that having more quality social connections decreases your likelihood of heart disease by 30 percent and also reduces your risk of dementia by 50 percent… researchers found that feeling isolated can speed up aging as much as smoking 15 cigarettes a day.”
According to this, strong relationships can save your life. But we live in an incredibly fragmented and isolated world. Proverbs 18:1 says, “He who isolates himself seeks his own desire and breaks out against all sound judgment.” It’s hard to get to know your neighbors. Families live too far apart to hang out. Your friends from high school have gone their own way. But one place where you can be sure to find connections that could literally save your life (according to Ah-Narld) is at a church. Getting connected in a Life Group can bring the health and life and joy to your life that you’ve been looking for.
In that same season we had made deep connections with our Life Group at church. These were the people who were there for us when we had a miscarriage. These couples shared life with us and loved on us so many times. And we found them at the church right down the street from our house. Our prayer for Valley View this year is that God would open doors for us to invite others to join us. Be praying specifically for your neighbors. They are the ones most likely to join you here, especially as the Christmas season is approaching. May God use your friendships to open the door to tell others about Jesus all over the South End of Louisville!
Photo by Victor Freitas on Unsplash