Community

I went out last night with some home ed friends and realised that even though these are really lovely friends, some of whom will stand the test of time, I am no longer part of their community. Very much the common theme is home ed. I am no longer part of that. I am part of the teen in college crowd, but there is now crowd for this as it is not meant to be the only thing you do. I know in home ed many of the mums now do other things but very much the focus is home ed. Whereas I do not know any of the other mums who are part of Tabi's class, and would almost be seen as strange if I tried to get in touch with them. It is not done.
Again it is looking though at what makes a community.
At our family prayer time this week Ben was very bold and asked us to prayer about why he feels so compelled to join the Royal Marines, or in fact any other one of the armed forces. Ian, Tabi and I all got that what he wants it a crowd, a brotherhood, who are a team, are working together for the small goal and purpose and will watch each other backs.
To a point this is what we had in the home ed community - working towards a common goal, and even though we were spread across the country, we did watch each others backs. In fact just recently someone has been struck off a home ed e-list for publishing an article in a leading newspaper dissing a certain aspect of home education. It was almost like even if you don't agree you don't publish that. In the public eye you all stick together. I did try to explain this to Ian who, not being part of that community, didn't get it.
So again as I look to find this community and to try to encourage it here where we live by trying to start an e-list based prayer community leading to regular physical prayer events, I need to keep revising what community is. And it seems to be not just friends and liking each other but much more than. It is finding that common goal, being a team and working together, and having a common purpose underlying everything.
Interestingly I think this is why I love the 24-7 community because there is that whole thing of working towards a common goal, and it is not a closed community.
Will keep praying that God can make it work here.