Refrigerator Privileges

Remember how Allison would open the door of my fridge and dig around my chocolate drawer without even asking? Remember how Roger D. knew more about what was in my refrigerator than I did? Remember how Cara would borrow an egg without asking and then "return" it three weeks later? Remember how Ben would hunt for that cheese from Italy? Remember Claudia just standing there gazing into the cold air.

I've been missing my friends. Those friends who don't comment if I'm wearing grubby clothes and haven't brushed my hair. Those friends who I would yell "Come IN" to; I wouldn't even bother getting up to open the front door. The ones who knew where the bottle opener was and who would open a coke for me while they were at it. The friends who would lay down on the pillows on the floor and start thumbing through a magazine and not expect anything from me.

The friends who were home with me when they were in my home.

The preacher on Sunday said we need these people in our lives: "friends with refrigerator privileges".

I've been attending a small group from my church for about a month. I'm a stranger to them. Yet, they welcome me. They make me feel safe to debate, to spout off, to be real, to seek help. They make me feel like I'm part of something. ...oh I'm so thankful.

Tonight we talked a little about living in community - about being a community and how we could do it better. I think it comes down to honesty... taking away the pretences and just being real. It's letting someone see that I have a bowl of who-knows-what growing mold on the second shelf. It's letting someone see that yes, I have four big bags of peanut M&Ms. And it's taking the time -and being bold enough yourself - to ask, " What's In Your Fridge?"

C.S. Lewis said that "Friendship is born at that moment when one person says to another, 'What! You too? I thought I was the only one!"

I think if we start being vulnerable to each other and gracious with each other we'll get there.

We might find some not-so-appetizing things and we might find a few delicious morsels.

Tonight at our home group, one of the leaders prayed, "Lord, may we be refrigerators to each other." That's a perfect place to start.

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