Community: Always There for You

When people are feeling lost and alone, they often turn to a church or to religion for in search of answers and comfort, likely because it allows them to feel a part of something and no longer alone and it offers the support and love of having a community around them during hard times.

Regardless of your religion or your beliefs, there is no denying that being a part of something positive feels good, as does being surrounded by people who care about and help one another. A sense of community is something that we all long for. Everyone needs to feel as though they belong somewhere, yet so many people go through life never feeling that they do and feeling that they have nowhere to turn.

The funny thing about religion is how it has managed to be the cause of wars around the globe and differences in beliefs lead to all kinds of strife, but when it comes down to it, no matter what God you pray to, if any at all; religions are all just the same when you think of them as a community. They are all communities of people who are there for each other. They pray together. They cry together. They laugh together. They learn together. As a matter of fact, when you look at the definition of community, which says that a community is a group of people sharing and environment; isn’t that what the entire world is? We are all sharing an environment, our planet.

In keeping with the ability to feel love and support by being a part of community; there are several community resources available for those looking for support and information on any of life’s struggles. These resources can be accessed by speaking to someone at your church—any church for that matter. As well, the Internet also offers us access to many of these resources as well thanks to websites, web rings, forums and more. Even just knowing that there is access to an online community can make all the difference in the world when you’re feeling lost and alone.

These online communities not only offer a variety of services but there are also those run by and dedicated to different religious organizations. Having someone to turn to who understands your beliefs can make you feel more comfortable and therefore more likely to ask for the help you need. Some of the support that you’re able to receive through these resources is: bereavement, financial advice, health advice and information, counseling, abuse counseling, substance abuse help, depression help and more.

Life isn’t always fair and sometimes things happen that turn our worlds around and leave us feeling helpless. Being able to turn to a community for support can help in more ways than you know. No matter what you’re dealing with and how hopeless it may seem, you never feel alone again now that you know that help is only a click or a call away. Rely on your community for support. That’s what being part of a community is all about.