Living Sent: Love Where You Live Review

Disclosure: I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.

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Are you familiar with the concept of living sent? In the new book Love Where You Live, Shauna Pilgreen defines “living sent” as follows:

Living sent is recognizing God’s intimate involvement in our lives, whether we are in a new zip code or have been in the same one for years. Living sent aligns our uniqueness to His activity for the purpose of making Him visible to our community.

Pilgreen encourages her readers to really examine the place they call home and to realize that God has a purpose for them there. Most of the book focuses on her family’s move from a rural area to the heart of San Francisco. They made the move because they felt called for her pastor-husband to start a church in the City.

Having lived in San Francisco for three years as a law student, I could relate to many of the Pilgreen’s stories. The neighborhood I lived in was one of the roughest in the City. I would walk back to my apartment as fast as I could, try to avoid eye contact with strangers, and feel relieved to close the door behind me. Opening my window for fresh air meant subjecting myself to constant sirens and people randomly yelling on the streets. I really could not imagine myself living there with young kids like the author and her husband. However, what is really inspiring about Pilgreen’s story is how she intentionally chose to engage with and serve her challenging surroundings. Yes, their family suffered some unwanted consequences in putting themselves in such a vulnerable position. However, it is clear that the relationships and community that they built as a result far outweigh any setbacks.

Reading this book caused me to think about my current location. The neighborhood we live in now is non-threatening, and much quieter and calmer than a big city. Yet, how much have I made an effort to reach out to my neighbors and build relationships? If I am honest, I would say very little. I still have an individualistic mentality of wanting to feel safe in the privacy of my own home. I make friends with those I have regular interactions with, but I am afraid to take a risk to reach out to those who may be “different”, lonely or secluded. We have the opportunity to show God’s love every day, but how often do we make excuses and let those opportunities pass us by? Love Where You Live is filled with inspirational ideas for serving others and creating connections so that we can live out God’s purpose in our everyday lives.