It feels good to belong….

During my regular morning walk, I turned a familiar corner and noticed the sounds of laughter. Men and women of various skin colors, sizes and ages were gathered in this quiet neighborhood to go on a bike ride together. Their warm, friendly greetings to one another, and me as the stranger walking past, was refreshing. For a moment, the world seemed friendly, safe and happy again. While I don’t know those who gathered, their interactions were delightful. I sensed they knew they mattered and belonged with one another. That simply felt good.

Belonging changes how we experience life. Our place in the world feels more secure or meaningful through a sense of belonging. When we are not sure we belong, or even worse, if we are told we don’t, we may wonder if we matter. When we are treated like we don’t matter, it is hard to believe and live like we do.

Belong is defined as “being a member or a part of”. This implies the member or part matters, is valuable and has a purpose. In her book, Braving the Wilderness, Brene Brown defines belonging as “the innate human desire to be a part of something larger than us.”

When God created the first man and woman, he made them in His image and with purpose.

Then God said, “Let us make mankind in our image, in our likeness, so that they may rule over the fish in the sea and the birds in the sky, over the livestock and all the wild animals, and over all the creatures that move along the ground.” So God created mankind in his own image, in the image of God he created them, male and female he created them. Genesis 1:26-27

Did you catch the phrase “Let US make mankind….” The bible describes God as 'us'- One God, yet three persons. This is known as the Trinity- God the Father, God the Son-Jesus and God the Holy Spirit, an Advocate. While our minds cannot fully comprehend the complexity of three in one, it reflects a sense of belonging and relationship, by God’s design.

Mankind is created to belong.

We can help or hinder a person's sense of belonging. In the same way, if we are dismissed or rejected, abandonment and shame enters our heart and mind. Shame tries to convince us we are not worth knowing, much less belonging. The pain of shame unattended has devastating consequences to our self-regard and approach to relationships.

God has a plan and promise regarding shame for those who turn to Him:

“Those who look to him are radiant; their faces are never covered with shame”. Psalm 34:5

God has a heart for those who don’t seem to belong. He is described as a father to the fatherless, and a defender of widows; he makes homes for the homeless and leads prisoners to freedom. (Psalm 68:5-6)

Jesus’s life, death, resurrection and gift of His Spirit to anyone who believes in Him guarantees our belonging. The cry to be heard, seen, belong, and know we matter is on display in the streets of our nation, the stories on our news, and the disagreements in our living room, office or church. When we live and love like Jesus, we assure family, friends, colleagues, or anyone in our community and throughout the world, they matter. This is not because we agree on how to approach all the issues our world may face, but because all people matter to The God who made them.

Belonging makes life more meaningful. It made my day to hear the laughter of a group of strangers on the street who sensed they belong to one another, even if only for a simple morning bike ride.

Belonging matters. Who can you include in your life today through the gift of belonging?

Let's make a difference,

Mary Beth