They came alongside us
Topic: God things
There was a family, made up of a mom and dad and 6 children. They were happy as they lived and laughed and grew…..up. These children went off to have their own families, reuniting whenever they could for holidays or vacations, and they were happy as they lived and laughed and grew.....older. The mom and dad of the six became grandparents, then great-grandparents….they grew older together and supported each other in love, laughter and remembering, watching their family grow.

The grandpa fell to frailty of mind and body. The grandma took care of him, along with the grown daughter and granddaughter who lived with them, trying to juggle full time careers with caring for the parents at night. But as time went on his frailty, compounded by the grandma's own weakened body, was too much for her and the family. The children did all they could as they managed their own families, work and their aging parents. But it was overwhelming and they lived and cried and stressed out and grew…..in despair.

There was another family. I do not know how many, but close to 200….they lived and laughed and learned together how to grow…..in spirit and in the love of Christ. They were a church, the body of Christ. They grew and began reaching out as members of this body with the hands, feet, ears, eyes and mouth of Christ. In fact, they reached out to this small despairing family.

Asked if they could just befriend and encourage members of this family, they saw the need and provided rides and watchful care as well as friendship for the grandpa as the grandma (and the daughter and niece who lived with them) got rest and got out of the house. It was a breath of fresh air to this family and they could live and laugh and grow again…..in strength and in hope and in thanks to God for His family and community we have through them. And it wasn't just the physical help that encouraged them, rather, it was the knowledge that they were not alone....they had friends who cared.

My deepest thanks and love to the members of my new church family, for ministering to my physical family.
You are a breath of fresh air!


Ecclesiastes 4


9 Two are better than one,
because they have a good return for their work:


10 If one falls down,
his friend can help him up.
But pity the man who falls
and has no one to help him up!

11 Also, if two lie down together, they will keep warm.
But how can one keep warm alone?

12 Though one may be overpowered,
two can defend themselves.
A cord of three strands is not quickly broken.