Monday, February 4, 2008

Where do you connect?

This is a thought that has been lingering for quite awhile. I believe that we all have the longing desire to connect with people. (I don't mean the needy kind of connecting, but the kind that is a blessing.) Maybe this has been in the front of my mind because we have recently moved...again. I grew up in a family that required frequent moves. When someones asks me where I am from, I never know what to say. Do I say the foreign country that I was born in? The state we lived when I was in early grade school or the one for jr. high or high school? Or where Chuck and I have lived most of our married life? Now that I have kiddos of my own, I desire for some roots for our family. Not just for the kids but for me too.

I know that I am not alone in my desires. I long to connect. With friends who share some of my values. With people that make me laugh and think I am funny. We have found most of our connections in our church friends in the past. I have also found friendships in our neighborhood, or co-workers, family, childhood fiends, people we have ministered with, other homeschool group, friends of the girls...the list goes on. But for me my newest connection has been through the blog. I have been able to connect with others and share experiences, struggles, prayer requests, trials and joys. I love that I can relate to people all over the country and travel the road with them.

So my questions is for you...where do you connect?

7 comments:

Anonymous said...

I have been struggling with this actually, interesting you post on it. I agree about blogging. It has become a wonderful way for me to connect. As our family has grown we have found connecting has become a great obstacle for us. I am not sure we know where we fit anymore. I have been praying God would connect us here in our town and in our church. It has yet to happen.

Kristie said...

I like to think I connect through blogging but lately I have been a big SLACKER!!
But I did tag you!!

junglemama said...

I too connect through my blog. I find that myself drawn to to others that have adopted because they seem to relate more to me.

Twyska said...

I think I connect mostly through church. We moved a lot growing up too. My parents said they always jumped right in and got involved, but it seemed to take a good year for those connections to happen. For me it seems harder as we get older and busier and have more kids...

Tiffany said...

I love blogging and reading blogs--I get encouraged, can commiserate, can empathize, can laugh, can get to know someone...
I also love to see people in person at the park or at some event and share those experiences. I love time to talk!

Susan said...

It's funny you mentioned moving a lot...I have always struggled with that question, "Where are you from?" Feeling "rootless" is hard. But, when I went to the TCK (Third Culture Kid - kids living in a different country than their passport country), they said that those who have moved around a lot as kids, often relate and "connect" easily to TCKs. Since TCK can't root in the soil (a hometown, etc.) they root in people, family. I always felt our family was close because we moved a lot...and my family now is probably that way too.
I find I connect with other missionaries (TCA- Third Culture Adults) more and more and with born and never moved Americans less and less. I have to put on my "Christian Amercian" hat in a few months to be able to "connect", and that is less and less WHO I am. I love the internationess of our mission...my "world" is a lot bigger. I love connecting NOW with my international team mates.

5Gustos said...

I have a very similar experience as you. I even think about it a lot. We'll have to "hang out" together sometime. I think we have a lot in common. It would be fun.