When I was in high school I always heard people talk about how badly they wanted to get of our town. They couldn't wait to graduate, go away to school or just move away. While I had dreams, and one was to go away to school which I didn't do, I was never set on moving and never looking back. Our first year of marriage we did move away and God brought us right back home.
While I was taking Bible classes, one of the instructors challenged us and said, "If you don't weep over your city, it may be time to move." Weeping over the city isn't a bad thing. Weeping over your city means you care so deeply for it that as you look at it, pray for it, your heart breaks for it and your love for it flows. When I came back to the city for ministry my pastor who did my first credential interview asked me if I remembered what I told him about my calling. He said that in my interview I told him that I knew God had not just allowed me to grow up here but He had called me to this city. I still stand on that today.
Here are a few reasons why I love my city.
1. It's pretty much 15-20 minutes from amazing!
Within a few minutes drive there are some really phenomenal sites to behold. We have right around us things like Cahokia Mounds, The Great River Road, the Arch, THE BEST ZOO, and some pretty amazing professional baseball and hockey, just to name a few things.
2. It's a big small town
That may sound funny but, I mean it. We're not a little town and we're not rural. But we're not super urban or big either. I sound a little like Goldilocks but to me it's just right. And as I mentioned above, if you are craving a little more city or a little less, just jump in the car and drive a few minutes and you'll be there.
3. We have a lot of faith
Prayer is a request of our leaders from city hall to the school board meetings. There is a recognition that God's hand is important on the activities, programs and economy. The churches around here, and we have a lot, work pretty well together to meet the needs of our community to the best of our abilities and for the Kingdom of God. We see our town as one that God can do great things in and through.
4. Our main park
The trees, flowers and open spaces are so inviting and the fountain is the perfect backdrop for pictures.
We have a stunning park filled with ball diamonds, gardens, a pool, an ice rink, tennis courts, basketball courts, picnic pavilions, and a skate park. That's just our main park. We have a network of parks in our district with great amenities like playgrounds for all abilities.
5. Resilience
There is a beautiful resilience to our town that can't be defeated. When it matters most people rally and the community stands. Whether it has been natural disasters such as tornadoes or financial woes from our steel plants shutting down, you can't keep us down. We bounce back stronger.
I know that many probably won't agree with my outlook and that's okay. Our city is certainly not perfect by any stretch of the imagination. But it's ours, it's where God has placed us and I am grateful for it!
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