"We All Need Somebody, to Leeeeeeean On..." #rootedinHim

Support systems-- who's got one? :)

Well, it might help to know what I mean by "support systems". According to Merriam-Webster, it is "a network of people who provide an individual with practical or emotional support". Uh, thanks Merriam-Webster...

Support systems will more than likely look different for each of us. For some of you, it might be your family-- families tend to be excellent support systems in times of good and times of bad. For others, it might be your coworkers-- perhaps you are in an awesome teamwork environment. And then there are those like me-- the ones who live by The Wonder Years theme song. 

For me, good friends have rarely been hard to come by. As cliche as it sounds, my friends are one of my biggest blessings-- a reason that I truly thank God. Without each of them, my life would be pretty bland. With them, I'm able to belly-laugh for hours on end about the silliest things. With them, I can share my feelings and my struggles. With them, I am reminded of God's love for each of us. Though some are only a few minutes away and others are hundreds of miles away, I know without the shadow of a doubt that I've got some amazing ladies that I can count on.

I am posting about this, not because I am lacking-- but, because I would love to see others lock-in and flourish. It really doesn't matter if your beliefs align with mine or not-- EVERYONE needs a good support system. We were not created to be alone; people do better with other people around them. Don't get me wrong-- I fully understand that some people need more alone-time than others, but at the end of the day, we all need human contact. We need to feel loved, appreciated, accepted. We need to feel like we are apart of something. 

For me, this has always been intertwined with my relationship with God. In my own life, I have seen God bring people in who are every bit of uplifting to me as they could be. This is very important to me, because it gives me the sensation and reminder that I am cared for. Similarly to a plant that needs watered and shouldn't have too many weeds growing around it; my support system has always been exactly like that-- nourishing, and keeps the obstructive things away from my growing process. 

With all of the positives being said-- now, I am going to switch gears just for a moment (or several-- bear with me). For a moment, humor me-- and picture your life without your support system. Let's say there was a mass mudslide and everyone got swept away except for you-- and now, you're alone. You relocate, and undoubtedly, there are other people around-- but let's say that you are not being embraced by the others. You feel alone-- you miss your support. Sound familiar yet? 

Most people that have moved out of their hometown at one point or another most likely was able to relate with that scenario (without the actual mudslide). For me, moving 7 hours away from home was a huge leap-- it was exciting, and it was scary. But I will be honest with you-- I made assumptions; assumptions that new friendships would come easily. WRONG-O. My first few months in Chicago were among some of the most difficult of my life, and it all centered around one principle-- my support system was 7 hours east of me, and I was starting to feel it.

As time passed and life went on, I began to make connections. Some were healthy and are still with me today, others have faded. While I can say that I am exceedingly thankful for where I am in life, I will also say that I think there is always room for growth. For those of you that know me well, you know that I am a Christian. I'm sure that each of you, in one way or another, has had some sort of contact with the Church-- some may have experienced good, others may have experienced bad. For those of you that have experienced bad, please accept my apology on their behalf-- God is love, and sometimes it is hard for people to fully love others. 

To be a support system is not just to say "I'm here for you anytime", and not pick up your phone when that person calls to talk. Sometimes, often when it is done right, it can get dirty and complicated. It most likely means being there at 2am when that person needs someone to talk to; it usually involves an awkward/tearful conversation in the middle of the sidewalk while others are passing by. It takes work, and it takes love. It takes being willing to get messy, and it takes a lot of grace. 

What was the point of this post? Well-- of course I cannot just paste my ENTIRE thought process onto the Web-- but, I can say this... we need each other, for better or for worse. Social media does not count in most cases, either; set up a time to meet with someone, and be there with them. It doesn't necessarily mean that the person has to be going through something difficult (though they can be)-- but, maybe they just need reminded how loved and appreciate they are... Who doesn't like to be reminded of that? :)

The scripture that I read tonight is short, but wraps it all up well (as it always does). I love the section that it comes from-- the title itself is so powerful: Love in Action. As in-- do it with intention-- do not be lazy about loving others. We can all stand to work on this, of course... but by every means possible, seek out this type of relationship in your life-- where you are loved fully and wholly. 

Romans 12:9-10 Love must be sincere. Hate what is evil; cling to what is good. Be devoted to one another in love. Honor one another above yourselves. 

Go ahead, laugh. #rootedinhim

Before I get started, I have one question for you. Yes, you. So, here it is:

Are you able to laugh at yourself? 

Hopefully, the answer is yes-- because truthfully, it makes the day to day go by so much more easily. If I didn't know how to chuckle at myself when I hum too loudly to the music on my iPod, almost wipe-out at the grocery store because of a wet floor, or just plain embarrass myself during a conversation, then I would be in for a life full of heartache. Luckily, as a kid, I was told by many adult figures before me that I should learn how to laugh at myself as soon as possible. Quite honestly, I feel that it is a brilliant piece of advice. If you aren't quite there yet, don't worry-- it's a one-awkward-situation-at-a-time thing. Be patient with yourself.

Moving on-- and, the reason as to why I asked that question in the first place. As I've said, I have known for quite some time now how to laugh at myself when needed. I also happen to surround myself with others who (seem to) know how to do the same thing. I'm thankful for this, because otherwise there would be a lot of "laughing at you, not with you" moments-- and those tend to get awkward after the 7th or 8th time. 

But laughter-- seriously, what a sweet gift and mystery. Where does it come from? I would say that I have a fair amount of friends/acquaintances in my life, and though a lot of us have a lot in common, a sense of humor is a very intricate thing. Some of my friends find what I find to be funny, funny... then others just give me a blank stare when I pull an Ace Ventura line out of my hat. (Even worse-- when I quote The Emperor's New Groove and the person just glazes over after I've explained the entire scene to them, and they STILL aren't laughing-- it shatters a small part of my soul). 

While I hope you are looking for something to laugh about today/tonight, I know I've got one major thing that I have found to be laugh-worthy. Here it is: my life. If you've been alive for any serious amount of time (we will say over 4,380 days), surely you've heard the phrase "If you want to make God laugh, tell Him your plans". Well, no one ever challenged me about the reciprocation of that little saying. If God wants to make me laugh, He can tell me His plans. Well, let me tell you something-- I'm laughing on the inside, and I'm laughing hard.

Do not, by any stretch of the imagination, think that I am unhappy or complaining for even a millisecond. I am beyond, beyond, beyond filled with joy and have an abundance to be grateful for. But if I were to time-travel and tell each of you where I thought I would be at 26 (almost 27-- send presents!), I'm pretty sure it would look a little different than what it actually is. In fact, here is what I would say:

"At 26, I think I will most likely be married, with one child, working in a counseling office of some sort-- living in a medium-sized suburban home, with a dog named Roger."

So, instead, here's what I've got: I am married (happily), no children (yet), no dog (yet-- but we have a cat that I would lose a major ligament for), not working in the counseling world (yet-- if ever), and NO house (are you kidding me, Chicago? $450,000 for a 3-bed? Pass). 

While some might see this as an opportunity to be frustrated or pessimistic about what the future holds, I look at it as an opportunity to smile. In each and every day, I see how rich my life truly is (this is not an attempt to rub that in anyone's face, so please do not take it that way). Things may not be what I once thought they would be, but that is okay. The part that is truly important to me, and why I created this blog in the first place, is to find the importance of seeking God out in each and every area of my life. He gives us a reason to smile, even when times are really, really hard. I speak from experience-- most of August and September had a lot of teeth-grinding moments for me. 

Why is this new career endeavor not working out? Why do I feel this immense rejection from individuals that I thought cared for me? What is it that You want me to do, exactly? Who have You made me to be, and what have You made me to do? How did I let my cat get so fat? (The first few questions were directed to God, if you hadn't caught that-- the last one was to myself. Poor Libby).

We all have questions about life, whether you believe in God or not. (Just as a word of encouragement, if you are seeking God-- you will find Him). But if you are just reading for reading's sake, please do not feel like I am preaching at anyone. That is why I have saved the scriptural reference for this blog for the bottom. My plan is to blog when led to about a scriptural passage, and to leave it at the bottom of the entry. That way, if you want to skip it, it will be easier to do.   

So, something to reflect on, and a reason to smile:

Colossians 2:7 "Let your roots grow into Him, and let your lives be built on Him. Then your faith will grow strong in the truth you were taught, and you will overflow with thankfulness."