by Eleanor
Trust in the Lord with all your heart
and lean not on your own understanding;
in all your ways, submit to him,
and he will make your paths straight.
Proverbs 3:5-6
Being a 1 Peterian is both a blessing and a wonderful mystery for me. I never would have thought that I would be so attached to the community! I am the kind of person who does not believe in community support because I have always done everything on my own. Trusting others was difficult for me, especially when it came to sharing my deepest longings and sufferings because I was afraid of being judged by others and appearing weak. For the longest period of time, I tried to suppress my feelings and hide my weaknesses to avoid judgement and criticism.
But everything I knew got turned upside down when I joined the 1 Peter community. I saw that each and every person in the community shared not just their joys but also all their struggles with such vulnerability and authenticity. This showed a special bond and trust that the group shared. This trust is a very special ingredient that keeps the friendships together in the community. A trust that I too, had been longing to experience for so long.
Deciding to be with the community is one of the bravest things I have done this year. I may not have known all of them when I started my journey with the community, but the feeling of trust and the warm welcome I was greeted with cooperated with the Holy Spirit and allowed me to grow to trust the community. I now see them as my extended family.
Like a real family, we support and accept one another for who the other really is. I truly admire how accepting and understanding they are despite the many flaws that I have. They share and give advice like a real family and are willing to listen to my thoughts without any judgement. Most importantly, we can all laugh at the silliest things or familiar anecdotes just like families do.
From the gift of family has also blossomed a lot of beautiful gifts that I received most especially, the gift of trust, love and care. The community showed me that trusting, loving and caring for others is not a weakness but something to be proud of and to be shared with others. True love does not need anything in return. We care because we Love and we Love because we trust Him. How exciting it is to be one of the newest members of the 1Peter family. I am truly grateful for these wonderful gifts.
Once again, God has proven to me that everything happens for a reason and He really is “The Master of Mysteries” for He really does things in the most mysterious, wonderful and loving ways that we could never imagine. Just continue to trust in Him and He will surely place you where you need to be!
To find out more about the 1 Peter community, please click HERE.
