The Sound of Thriving

I wouldn’t call myself a theater nerd, but I do love a good musical:)

A couple of months ago, my family decided to celebrate my 21st birthday early before I flew to Texas and began my summer job. Birthdays have always been a big deal to me. It’s fun to celebrate other people, and it’s nice to be celebrated:) So, I go all out. Food, decorations, desserts... the whole nine yards.

For my “birthday” this year, going all out looked like Chinese food, cookie cake, and the greatest musical of all time: The Sound of Music—three hours of beautiful nature shots, romance, singing, a whole bunch of nuns (and kids), and the threat of Nazi Germany.

Now, don't get me wrong… There are tons of good musicals out there, but, for me, The Sound of Music takes the cake. If you’ve never seen it, The Sound of Music tells the fictional story of a nun-in-training named Maria, who, frankly, is terrible at her job. 

Maria is kind. She has a fierce passion for people, loves to sing, and enjoys being outdoors. But… despite God’s evident presence in her life, Maria is just not cut out to be a nun. So, Mother Abbess sends her away (temporarily) to nanny for a widower named Barron von Trapp and his seven children.

While the transition from her convent community to a new community—one ages 5+—isn't exactly smooth, slowly, Maria begins to thrive. She finds music, love, family, and purpose. She even stumbles into an anti-Nazi revolution… Whoops:)

Community and Relationships

I've been thinking a lot about community lately. And while I've seen this movie a million times, this time around, I couldn't help but notice Maria's two communities—the convent and the von Trapps.

Both of Maria's communities (eventually) are kind. They are welcoming. And above all else, they are both called by God to do good work. But... only one of these communities allows Maria to use her gifts and be herself... to thrive.

Last week, I began my senior year at Mercer University (go bears!). In my time at Mercer, I have been involved in a lot of communities. I've joined clubs, campus ministries, honors societies, and choirs. I've visited churches and small groups. I've even worked... a lot:) However... most of the communities that I initially stumbled into my freshman year, like Maria's convent, were not the right fit. And I wasn't alone in this realization.

Finding your people is hard. Finding community is hard! And as a student, there is so much pressure to join the clubs, go to the campus ministries, hang out with the strangers, take the job... and the other job... and the other. Be a friend to everyone!

We live in a world that tells us to do it all and be it all. And guess what? Sometimes, we can even feel pressure to do a lot of good things. There are tons of volunteering organizations that help others. There are tons of churches that do good work. There are so many people that we can call friend! But we can't do it all, can we?

We Were Made to Thrive

Community is our reason for being—it's our reason why. And I really do believe that we are at our best when we are surrounded by community—when we participate in the body of Christ.

However, as one of my dear friends, Alfred, reminded me this summer, there is a difference between community and relationship. When we take on too much... When we exhaust ourselves... When we try to fit into the roles that are just not cut out for us... We can miss out on what community is really about: actually and authentically building relationships.

Maria built relationships. She found the right community for her. And she found a way to thrive.

So... like Maria, as we settle into a new school year and resist the urge to be it all and do it all, I invite us all to discern three questions:

One: What are our convents? What are the places that just aren’t the right fit—no matter how holy or good or loving they may be?

Two: Who are our von Trapps? What are the spaces that God can use to surprise us and help us thrive?

Three: What communities are authentic to who we are? And at what point is saying yes or joining 100 GroupMes just too much?

...

There is a big world out there. And infinite opportunities. But I hope we can also take the time to slow down and fill our plate with just enough. I hope we are able to find our communities, lean into the grace of God, and be filled by the sound of music—the sound of God’s thriving Spirit.

And then, just maybe, we might find echoes of Hope, of Peace, of Joy, and of Love.