Synergy

I haven't written in so long and I thought it was about time I updated this blog!

I am so fascinated by the concept of synergy. You know - the whole 1+1=3 (or more) concept? In Biblical terms, I like to think of it as 'one can put 1,000 to flight but two can put 10,000 to flight' or exponential effectiveness. I can't say I understand it very well, but nonetheless I am intrigued. I think of sports stadiums and the 'energy' that is generated when you put multiple thousands of fans together all screaming for their team. Of course, you can generate excitement in the comfort of your own living room when you're the only one watching the game on tv, but it doesn't compare to the 'feeling' you get when you're with other people. That 'sense' of the whole being greater than the sum of its parts is what I'm talking about.

When I look at synergy in my own life, this is what I see. Now that I'm here at Bethel, I'm in an environment where I'm surrounded with like-minded, passionate people who want similar things from their lives and the feeling of acceleration as a result of this 'interaction' is at times almost tangible. The energy here is amazing. It's like a combined total of every individual's breakthrough in God is all around me and I can access it practically effortlessly. Sometimes I am just aware of the incredible breakthrough and Presence that the people around me carry and then I wonder, 'What is it that I bring to the table?' When I think back over the past few years of my life I must admit, I've been through A LOT! I know that I have personal breakthrough that is released wherever I go, I just wish I could step outside of my body and see what it is because I know it's there, I'm just not always sure what it is.

When God brought us here, I knew He had good things in store. I feel such a sense of community and family and when I combine that with what I understand about synergy, I see how being linked in with other people is just so powerful. I can see possibilities opening up to me (even if just in 'mental' form at the moment) that I couldn't even conceive of before I came here because the vital components in the equation are the people with whom I'm involved. I find myself in situations here where I have so much freedom to be myself that I didn't realize how much I was NOT myself in other scenarios until I was released to just be me. We weren't created for hardship. We were created for paradise. Sure, we can learn to thrive no matter where we are; however, if God wanted us to struggle, He wouldn't have put man in the Garden of Eden which was paradise on earth.

Where am I going with all this? I'm not entirely sure yet. I just know that the more I engage with people around me who are in their own interactive relationship with God, my life opens up - blooms, if you will - effortlessly, simply by being in an environment that is conducive to my growth. Effortless, positive, permanent change that comes simply by relating to others - synergy-zing - so that my breakthrough combined with your breakthrough results in multiplied impact wherever we go. I feel like I'm touching the tip of an iceberg and I'm sure this will surface again in other posts but for now, that's one of the things I'm pondering. :)