Finding Home In a Scoop of Ice Cream: The Value of Being Known

Joe White, director of Kanakuk Kamps, had a phrase that he drilled into all the staffers working during training week. He said, "The name is the most important word in the English language."

And Joe was dead on. In fact, Joe surfaced a subject that goes deep to the core, something we all deal with every single day: The value of being known

A small piece of everyone seeks adventure, even if the desire is gently tucked away in a drawer and never sees the light of day. Like an unopened Christmas present in the attic.

But despite the novelty and joy of adventure, we forget a piece of the puzzle that is often left out. We forget about the search for friends, the search for community, and how long it takes to get settled somewhere.

For being known, I mean truly known, is beautiful. The ability to share, to open one's heartstrings, to communicate the realities of life's happenings is essential to human life.

God even tells us, paints the picture clear when He places Eve in the Garden with Adam. "Man is not meant to be alone"

I moved down to Greenville, South Carolina this summer, with high hopes, expectations, and dreams after the most incredible summer before in Boise, Idaho. I had this perfect picture of finding people with the same mindset as me, who could really live and do life with me.

But it didn't happen the way I planned it.

I had to go into overdrive to find community. I sought community in every place I could. But I still found myself at a sandwich shop one Saturday, alone and surrounded by the noises of people who had community. I listened to families, friends, and others laughing and sharing stories, while I was alone with my thoughts, desperately seeking community.

And my soul longed for the same. Longed for long conversations on porches and the chance to share my heart. I wanted to spend time with people who knew me. To be known, to be loved, to be cared for, these were the desires of my heart.

I got to fly home for the 4th of July to my ranch, surrounded by people who cared for me and understood the deep inter workings of my soul; it was so refreshing to have real conversations with people. Throw the small talk and dump it out on the street. Souls need to be filled, heard, and understood.

All these thoughts reminded me of how much I appreciated home. The old "Welcome to the Ranch sign," a creaky pull out chair, the sounds of my family laughing to some George Costanza line, a dog who can sit with you for hours on end without word meant so much. Everything else in life seems to become less important when you are spending time with people you love.

So what about a home draws people in close? All of the things above by themselves are worthless, yet so appreciated when put together.

I have this picture of Jesus standing at the gate of heaven, with a smile and a cold glass of lemonade welcoming me in. He draws me in and says, "You know Matt, I've been waiting for you a while. But you came at the perfect time, the time I specifically called you home.

For we are all strangers to this earth, we just happen to inhabit it and make the best of it. As a Christian, our true home will be in heaven, the place that we will feel the most known.

But while we wait for that time, what do we do?

If we are lonely or seeking to be known, press on. It might just take one more interaction. Give it to the Lord, that's all you can do.

On the other side, I challenge you to be that person that invites the new guy to lunch, stops a stranger in the park to ask how their day is going ask them to tell you about themselves, buy that one girl in line her coffee and ask what her name is.

You never know the impact a simple gesture can do. I experienced this power of a small gesture in the form of a scoop of ice cream.

If you are ever driving through the town of Greenville, South Carolina, there is a home that shines a light that beacons 5 families to the back porch. Every Sunday they meet for ice cream, talk about life, what's going on, share hilarious stories, and pray together. They simply love others well; they made a stranger like myself feel valued and known. And these nights were magical, in fact, they were my favourite days of the summer. I am deeply indebted to them for an act that seemed so simple, yet carried great magnitude.

These families live out Matthew 25:35 every Sunday. They took a knucklehead stranger like myself, loved me, cared for me, and exemplified what Christian community is all about. I was humbled to see such a beautiful picture of community like this, all through conversations and laughter with ice cream in hand.

You may be in a place where you haven't found special community. In fact, you may have searched your whole life and not found community. The truck has been stuck in the mud for years, tires spinning, yet no progress.

Here's what scripture tells us:

"For you formed my inward parts; you knitted me in my mother's womb. I praise you, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made. Wonderful are your works; my soul knows it well. My frame was not hidden from you, when I was being made in secret, intricately woven in the depths of the earth. Your eyes saw my unformed substance; in your book were written, every one of them, the days that were formed for me, when as yet there was none of them." - Psalm 139:13-16

Community or not, it's refreshing and a good reminder to remember that God made us, formed us specifically, values us, and cares for us deeply. In times of struggle, holding onto this truth is encouraging, especially when we are seeking and not finding others to surround ourselves with.

Oh and you never know, it may all start with a scoop of ice cream...

What If?

Matthew 25:35-40 "For I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me drink, I was a stranger and you welcomed me, I was naked and you clothed me, I was sick and you visited me, I was in prison and you came to me. The righteous will answer him saying, 'Lord when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you drink? And when did we see you a stranger and welcome you, or naked and clothe you? And when did we see you sick or in prison and visit you? And the King will answer them, "Truly as I say to you, as you did it to one of the least of these my brothers, you did it to me.' 

What If?

That is the question I dare to speak about. What If?

What if we were a friend to the kid at school who has none?? What if we said hi to our neighbors today? What if we encouraged our siblings today? What if we let that elderly person take our seat on the bus? What if we had a smile on our face everyday? What if we fed the kids that stare at us with longing and empty stomachs? What if we gave drink to the people that beg for a small sip of the many drinks that we fill our throats with everyday? What if we welcomed that nerdy looking new kid at school to hang out with our friends? What if a homeless man asked for clothes? What if that dying person had someone that cared after them before they passed away? What if we reached out to those people that have sinned just like us and poured into them? 

The list goes on and on...

This is the Lord's call for us- Go serve these people! 

I know for me this list is often a list I overlook and say, "I'll have plenty of time to do this when I'm older and involved with the Church and whatnot." Not until recently have I discovered the fault behind that statement. The answer comes from 1st Timothy 4:32 "Do not let others look down on you because you are young, but set an example for the believers in speech, in life, in love, in faith, and in purity. Paul continues on to tell Timothy who is a young believer to read the scriptures in public and to teach the Gospel! We are called to serve no matter our age! This is one of my go-to verses because its so applicable to me and all my peers who are still young. Who said we can't be leaders for Christ? In fact we are urged by Paul to be the example for the believers!!! If your reading this that is what I want you to take to heart- that you can be a strong leader even if you are young! Backtracking to Matthew 25, if we all committed ourselves to following what those verses challenged us with, our world would be changed. The sad thing though is there are few that commit to that, and I am the first to admit that I haven't been following that challenge given to us by the Lord. So what if?? What if we took these verses to heart and changed the world, living it out for Him above and concerning ourselves with reaching out to those who are sick, hungry, thirsty, naked, in prison, those lonely and unwelcomed. 

Lets GO for it! I'm game for sticking to the challenge! Hope you are too!

Run hard to the cross my friends, 

Matt Galvin