Perhaps there is often an undercurrent of disdain for small town life because it holds the very secret to emotional health.
Small town life, lived well, owns the secret of community.
Community means you get to know a few people well. My daughter lives in NYC's West Village where cars are optional; nearly everything needed springs up within walking distance. Alone at the nearby grocery, I gave the cashier my daughter's phone number as the discount card. She smiled and asked, "Where's my chipmunk?" (Her pet name for my young grandson.) Trading in a small space, even in the biggest city, lends itself to you becoming known.
You belong.
Community has cheerleaders. People know you care when you show up in a place where they are featured yet your presence is optional. Other people's kids light up when they see you at ballgames and recitals. Adults smile because you attend their recreational softball game or that fundraiser they hold dear.
Your presence is intentional.
And, community has biblical written all over it. God said Adam needed someone--thus, Eve--and we never stopped. It is virtually impossible to find a story in the Bible absent of a circle of people who know and care and struggle and triumph.
You live in a circle God-ordained.
So, on this Monday, is emotional health a goal for the week?
Feed your strength with a small town life.
