Being a Villager…2.01.26

Hey good people, how’s it going?

Happy Sunday.
I hope you’re warm, safe, and have food. I hope you have everything you need to feel secure right now, because if you don’t have those things, I know this week has been A LOT.

It has been a WEEK for Northeast Louisiana.

Today makes day eight for many in our parish without power. Eight days. And if you’ve lived through something like this, then you know it’s not just “the lights being off.” This type of situation touches everything: comfort, food, sleep, mental health, routines, patience, even the way you see your community.

This week has been eye-opening on so many levels. 

Thankfully, we’ve been safe. We’ve been staying with family friends who live very close to us. Something I don’t take for granted is being in a space where my kids can be themselves.  But even still, it has been hard.

I don’t think in my adult life I’ve ever been in a situation where I was living under someone else’s roof.

And the moment you step into someone else’s space, your brain doesn’t rest.

From the time I wake up to the time I go to bed, I’m constantly thinking:

• Let me make sure my kids aren’t being too loud.
• Let me make sure our stuff isn’t cluttering their home.
• Let me make sure we’re not taking up space that we shouldn't be in.
• I'm hyper aware of ALL the kids needs.
• What lesson can I teach
• Are we making anyone uncomfortable?
• Because even though my kids know how to share, this is different. We are in someone else’s space. And when someone opens their home to you, you don’t ever want to feel like an inconvenience.

Showing appreciation looks like service to me.

This week, I’ve cooked more than I cook in a normal week at home.

But it’s not because I’m trying to prove something. It’s because I genuinely feel like if you are allowing us into your home, then I don’t need to be asleep on our couch mid day. I want to contribute. I want to help. I want to show appreciation in a way that feels real.

So I’ve been doing things that I feel like would make a difference.

Washing our own dishes.

Bringing our own supplies.

Replenishing common used things. 

It’s my way of saying thank you without saying it a thousand times.

This storm reminded me: community is not optional.

This whole experience has really shown me the importance of being a villager. And I would like to think I am one. Because imagine your house had a tree through it. Imagine you’ve been without power for days and it’s 30 degrees outside.And now you need to call someone for help. But you haven’t checked on them in six months. Or a year. You haven’t built that relationship. You haven’t poured into community.

Or even worse, you don’t ask at all. You sit in silence and suffer because pride won’t let you reach out, or because you know deep down you haven’t invested in anyone long enough to feel safe asking them for help. My God.

This week has been a reminder that we are not supposed to live disconnected from people. Community matters. Relationships matter. Showing up matters.

Even today at Walmart, I found myself being extra mindful.Smiling, Saying hello, Trying to be warm.

Trying to move like somebody’s sister and not somebody’s enemy. I am not fighting ANYBODY over the last box of anything. You can have it.

And the truth is, I don’t know what situation you’re walking back into. I don’t know if the house you’re going home to is warm. I don’t know if you’ve eaten today. I don’t know if you have a place to sleep tonight. So yes, you can have it. 

I’m thankful that my family is warm. I’m thankful that my family is safe.

Our property is fine. Yes, there are limbs we’ll need to burn. But we are blessed. So, so blessed.

And I made sure to remind my other half of that, too. Because sometimes, when things feel heavy, it’s easy to get stuck in our heads. But we need to remember what is still standing.

Praying for our people.

I’m praying for the people who have a tree through their home. I’m praying for the people who still don’t have power. I’m praying for the families trying to figure out how to make it until things return to normal. I’m praying for these schools. I know some of them were damaged. And I’m praying for families where school is their main source of food. I pray that provisions show up where they’re needed most.

Because storms come and go, but need remains. And if we can be of service to anybody, we should.

Stay safe. Stay warm. Check on your people.

Don’t be shy, let’s be social.

A