Dear Bryce,
Thank you. It’s not easy being the only single man in a small group full of young married couples, and we just want you to know that you are Seen, Known, and Loved. We love seeing you walk in seventeen minutes late every Thursday night, grinning sheepishly as you plop that bag of Cool Ranch Doritos on the counter next to Melanie’s green bean casserole. It’s so cute that you still apologize for being late, as if any of us care at all, or have ever expected anything different. We were all so proud of you that one time that you brought Rotel cheese dip, even though it was kind of burnt and you didn’t think to bring any chips with it, which like, kind of defeats the whole purpose (seriously, the one time we actually need some corn chips with our meal you don’t come through). But as much as it made our Hearts Full to see the effort that you put into that little crock-pot, we need to make this clear: just like you can’t earn God’s love, you can’t earn ours either. At this point, we’ve come to expect the Doritos, and it’s fine. The Doritos are fine, Bryce. Even though your weekly update is always the same, we are all always so excited to hear it. Bryce, what’s new? “Oh, you know, work is… busy. But other than that, can’t really complain. Just trying to figure out the whole work/life balance thing.” Ah man, that’s tough, Bryce. Thank you being Raw and Vulnerable with us. We love you. Hey, can we pray for you right now? The main thing we want to get across is this: stop worrying so much. We care about you, but also, in a very different way, we don’t care, you know? We have like, kids and stuff. Real issues to deal with. We don’t have time to judge you for stopping by Food City on your way here every week instead of preparing an actual dish like the rest of us. I mean, the only person who ever even bothers to put any Doritos on his plate most of the time is Paul, and it’s just because he feels bad for you. We truly don’t care, Bryce. You know how that kid in the Bible brought Jesus five loaves and two fish, and he used it to feed a crowd of five thousand people? That kid brought Jesus what he had, and Jesus performed a miracle with it. If you want to think of your Doritos like that, go for it. It’s not really the same though, because you could definitely put in a little more effort and make some brownies or something. But if it’s helpful for you, then yeah, it’s kind of the same in some ways! Bryce, we’re so glad you keep showing up. Truly, most of us gave you six weeks, tops. But against all odds, now you’re a core member of the group, and it wouldn’t be the same without you. Love, Your Small Group
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