The Blessing of the Body During This Trial

All who believed were together and had all things in common.  And they were selling their possessions and belongings, and distributing the proceeds to all, as any had need.  Acts 2:44-45

I've been spending a lot of time in the last two weeks in hospital waiting areas.  As I wait for my dear man to be cut on, repaired, or examined, I am watching, listening, and experiencing trauma right alongside pure strangers as they wait for loved ones to return from various procedures.  The one thing that has hit me like a ton of bricks is that most people wait alone without the hope of my Savior.  While I walk through this trial with an amazing army of believers by my side, who have been a picture of the new testament fellowship, most don't know this kind of support.

My church, my amazing church, has been such a picture of the new testament.  

Right now, we have need, and every one continues to be met through the body.  

We have need for encouragement..we get cards, texts, emails, and phone calls every single day sharing the truths of God's word and assuring us that we are prayed for and loved.  These things come at just the right time and say exactly what we need.  

We need nourishment.  Each night for the last two weeks (and continuing for the next two weeks), someone from our church takes the time to serve us by sharing a meal that they have prepared for us.  Single mommas, mommas with small children, those who are sick themselves, ones who work full time...take the time from their own lives to serve us during this blip in the road.  I can't tell you how it has ministered to my soul to go to the door each night, and be given a meal that I can sit around the table with my family and share.  Eating dinner together feels so normal, and it is so comforting to be able to continue to have this routine with my clan each night while everything else in life seems so out of control.  

We have need for fellowship.  I have never been alone.  This has probably been the one thing that I have noticed the most as I have waited in hospitals.  There are many who wait without the comfort of company.  Though we live in this state far away from most of our blood family, I never wait alone.  I always have people beside me to pray with us, talk with me, and just be.  The precious gift of time, even spending the entire night in the hospital waiting area with me, that so many have given me during this trial is priceless.   

We have physical needs too.  Dear friends from the body have bought groceries, picked up our children, run for prescriptions, offered their services for laundry, and shared their resources with us!  Two days into this, my dishwasher went out.  I will admit that with all I have to do caring for everyone my dishwasher going out was a huge blow.  Silly I know, but within two days I had a new dishwasher installed and running because a few in the body stepped in answering my need.  Yesterday, our ipad broke.  Again, it sent me into how can this be?  Our daughter with special needs can't be without this piece of technology!  I don't have time for this! We don't have the funds to replace it!  Then a card was delivered with a check that will just about cover the cost of a new one.  While this person couldn't have possibly known of our need before bringing the check, God knew.  God has been so faithful, and our dear church has been so willing to be used by Him to meet our every need during this time.  

If you are believer, and you don't have a consistent, deep connection with a body, you are missing out on one of the greatest blessings God has given us here on Earth.  The church is a place that we can care for others, and be cared for.  The Lord created it to be His hands and feet here.  This has been such an illustration of the importance of that to my oldest babe during this time as she is about to leave me for college.  I love, love that I have been able to say to her..this is the church.  Don't leave me and not get plugged in to a body where ever you are dear girl because we so need each other.

Praising God in my prayers for the blessing of the body of believer here on this Earth to be His hands and feet.  It is a privilege indeed to serve among such a special place as Cedar Valley Bible Church.