The Next Chapter - Kevin - investing in community

The Next Chapter - Investing In Community

Kevin peered in the small window of the AKA Art Cafe and steadied his nerves.he hadn't been this nervous even when he went in to save his brother Ethan's wounded ego in Bulgaria twenty-seven years ago. God, had it really been that long? Some of his newfound friends were in the Art Cafe. Tori Rae Davis, owner of AKA, her sister Mauve and little Junie. Sitting next to them was Aimee Little, on a new life journey of her own and reporter, Ellie Grant covering the event for the Maplewood Gazette. There wasn't an enemy in sight. Just a hot July morning with him stuffed into his stylish Santa outfit he didn't get to wear in December. All the kids surrounding his friends were looking around expectantly. It was time. Kevin opened the door and delivered A hearty "Ho Ho Ho!" All the kids squealed and rushed him. He felt his heart settle. This. This was the life.

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📖 Maple Lane Devotional: The Next Chapter – Investing in Community

Scripture:
"Let us not give up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but encouraging one another—and all the more as you see the Day approaching."
— Hebrews 10:25 (NIV)

Devotional Thought:
Kevin Fairchild had faced tougher missions in foreign countries, tense stand-offs in back alleys, and moments where silence could save a life. But nothing had prepared him for the butterflies that flapped around his chest as he stood outside a cozy community café dressed as Santa in the middle of July.

The battle this time? Showing up. Not undercover. Not detached. Not as someone blending into the background. But as Kevin—neighbor, friend, and possibly the new local Santa-in-residence.

He wasn’t there to impress, outsmart, or rescue. He was there to belong.

He had spent a lifetime training people not to see him, and now, in his sixties, he was letting himself be seen. Not for what he’d done, but for who he was. And that scared him more than espionage ever had. But as he stepped inside AKA Art Café and was met by squeals of laughter and little arms flung around him in joy, he felt something settle.

This is what investing in community looks like:
It looks like risking a new start.
It looks like awkward small talk that turns into deep belonging.
It looks like putting on the suit—even in July—because you care.

It’s a holy kind of courage.

Prayer:
Lord, give me the courage to show up for the life You’re calling me to live—not hidden, but wholehearted. Help me push past fear, past the instinct to isolate, and open myself up to the community You’ve placed around me. Use me, even in the small ways, to bring joy, comfort, and presence. Thank You for the gift of second chances and unexpected callings. Amen.

Journal Prompts:

• When have you felt afraid to be seen or known? What held you back?

• Who has God placed in your life that you might be called to invest in?

• How could you “show up” in community this week—even if it’s just a smile, an invitation, or a helping hand?

• What “Santa suit” are you being asked to wear? Is it courage, kindness, humor, or healing?

Closing Thought:
Kevin didn’t need to save the world. He just needed to step into the room. And maybe that’s what you’re called to do today, too.