Three Days of Community

I was introduced this week to yet another new concept--small town community. Saturday night there was a fundraiser at the school for a family in the valley in deep financial need. The mom has cancer, and they are without medical insurance. Isabel's dance class was invited to dance at the event, and so we planned to go.

As I got in the vicinity of the middle school, I was overwhelmed. There were cars everywhere. There were hundreds of people there. They were there to celebrate knowing this lady and her husband and kids, and to help in whatever way they could. There was a silent auction of things donated from local artists and businesses-- even a big freezer of elk steaks. There was a barbecue dinner and ongoing talent on the stage.

On Sunday, our crew went hiking with some friends of ours, and on the way home we had to stop for some commotion in the highway.   Someone's fence had fallen and their horses were out and in the highway. About five truckloads of people (including our hiking partners who were a few minutes ahead of us) were out in the road corralling the horses and helping them get back into the fence. Things stood still on the busy road until the horses were safely contained.

On Monday night, the PTO for the schools had invited the Harlem Ambassadors to town for a basketball game versus the hometown heroes. We had gotten tickets a couple of weeks ago to support the PTO, and the kids were thrilled to see a few of their teachers play ball. When we arrived at the high school, it was like something from a movie. EVERYONE was there. The team of local heroes included principals, teachers, the sheriff, the owner of the garbage company, the owner of the electric company, the city manager, and about twenty others. Every seat in the gym was packed with standing room only. It was a bit like being in a movie, or taking a step back to simpler times. For a weekend we saw community at its best. People thinking beyond themselves and meeting the needs of others.

Small town life is no utopia. It holds the same pressures and life heartaches, but what a beautiful reminder of how we are to pitch in and be a neighbor. We are to gather in hard times and hold each other up, and in lighter times we play and laugh.

Philippians 2:3-4 "Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit, but in humility consider others better than yourselves.  Each of you should look not only to your own interests, but also to the interests of others."