Life Doesn’t Work in Silos

I am not going to lie, I have been stuck in my silo. The last couple of years with the pandemic combined with the state of public education (I am a teacher), I have just been zapped of my energy and desire to connect.

I came across this picture I had taken while on a long drive. The drive entailed going through mountains, and past lots…. I mean lots of farms. As we rode, the silos kept grabbing my attention…. and it got me thinking…

I don’t know how you live life- but I am a complete Type A. Details matter, over analyzer, efficiency is the name of the game, teeth grinder, stressed-slightly anxious, can’t sleep over thinker, to-do list maker, with a sense of urgency person. For a long time people (even those closest to me) thought it was because  because I truly care… about E.V.E.R.Y.T.H.I.N.G. As I pondered, I realized, this is not technically an underestimation. I ABSOLUTELY care about the big picture… but the details why?

Let’s look at what a real silo’s purpose is. It is to protect the grain from the elements and increase the storage life of the grain. So why do some of us live life in silos. For me, I often default to this way of living when I am overwhelmed. The structural comfort of living in my silo is comforting. But doing this day in and day out can also be lonely. Silos can easily cause us to mis align priorities. When I had a very demanding job- I completely lived life in silos. I thought my priorities were aligned with scripture. But it limited my collaboration with others and while my to do list would shorten, I lacked the socialization needed to keep my soul happy, to stay creative, and to stay inspired.

God didn’t create us to live this way. He himself is a community – the father, the son, the Holy Spirit. God didn’t leave Adam alone – he created Eve. The scripture continuously interweaves the thought of community. Galatians talks about how we are to carry each others burdens. Proverbs talks about how we are help better each other.

Proverbs 27:17 As iron sharpens iron, so one person sharpens another.

While pondering these silos, I realized, at fast glance they appear to stand alone but with another look they are connected.

Really living life as a community takes time, takes maturity on all different kinds of levels. It is a process. To truly trust each other, trust God and the people he put in our path, to love each other, to forgive each other, to regard each other more than ourselves.

I struggle with that last one, how about you?

During the last few years it has been really really easy to stay in my silo. I am determined to come out of my silo. I am going to work on ways to build my Community again, but different. I hope you will stay for the ride. I do hope you will find your community- here, there, or somewhere.