#11

Do you have a favorite number? I do. Ever since I can remember, eleven has always been my lucky number. As time has passed, this number has become even more dear to me.

Today, I went to register my car for a parking decal and had a wonderful surprise (besides this Christmas-feeling, cool weather!). I walked into the front office with all my legal documents, and the apartment manager went into her office to grab my decal. When she came out, she handed it over saying, "And your parking number is eleven." Not too many people, if any, would smile at that, but I was grinning for the next 15 minutes. As I placed the decal on my car windshield (still smiling), I giggled, "Thanks God!"

Walking back to my apartment, I wondered why I liked the number 11 so much. I thought back in time at all the moments and pieces of evidence that contributed to this. I remembered my sister Christina having #11 on her soccer jersey and how I looked up to her during those years (still do TBH). I recalled telling people that 11 was like being number one twice. Once, I ran a race where only top ten meddled and I placed 11th and was so happy because it was my favorite number. Growing up, when the clock read 11:11, my family would make wishes during that special minute. It was always my favorite time of day.

After recalling these moments, I asked God if there is anything He wanted me to see in the number eleven. He gave me this picture: The number 1 can be seen as supreme over all the other numbers, but it is also lonely. It has no friend to help it for the journey ahead. 11, however, has a companion, someone to remind it why it is there and to keep moving forward. To add to this, 11 is more than double (even triple) the value of 1. It is stronger being together verses being alone.

"Two are better than one, because they have a good return for their labor: If either of them falls down, one can help the other up. But pity anyone who falls and has no one to help them up. Also, if two lie down together, they will keep warm. But how can one keep warm alone? Though one may be overpowered, two can defend themselves. A cord of three strands is not quickly broken."

- Ecclesiastes 4:9-12

I took this Biblical truth for granted. I grew up in the church where companions were available for me to pick and chose whenever needed. When college came around, I did not realize that I would have to invest in relationships with fellow brothers and sisters in Christ. It took time filled with many mistakes for me to realize that I need other people, that God created humanity to be social for a reason, and that people need me just as much as I need them.

For almost the past two years, I have begun to invest and re-invest in friendships that are uplifting and direct my focus on Jesus. Honestly, those relationships have been beyond worth my investment. It seems like whatever love, time, and energy I give out, I receive double back! It is mind-boggling to me, but I keep doing it and keep seeing the same results.

Can I encourage you this morning? Please do not live this life alone. You were made to love and be loved by God through people. You were reborn in this Christ family to interact with your siblings. You need them, and, honestly, they need you.

Be the one who texts that friend whom you have not spoken to in forever. Be that family member who calls your relative unexpectedly just to say, "What's up?" Be the person on the bus who smiles at the many introverts. Be the someone who brightens one lonely person's day with a random act of kindness. Above all, be God's messenger who proclaims truth to one heart that is captured by lies.

Be the 1 that joins with another 1 to make the 11!