The Joy of Fellowship

Therefore encourage one another and build one another up, just as you are doing. 1 Thessalonians 5:11

Recently, I attended an art display, musical performance and then had lunch with some of my classmates from my high school graduating class. There were 26 of us (spouses included) and the room was filled with laughter and lots of chatter. What a joy to spend time with these folks. Even though we have gone our separate ways, our hearts have stayed connected.

As I sat with three of my closest friends from yesteryears, I made the comment about how our minds are still stuck in the late 60’s but our bodies are defiantly letting us know that we are no longer teenagers. We spoke of aches and pains (as seniors often do), but thanked God for each new day.

Our conversations ran the gamut, but I became especially interested in the discussions of our grandchildren and how Covid-19 changed their world. They lost so much during that period that cannot be recaptured.

While commenting on the art exhibit, we all agreed that most of the artists’ expressions showed a much darker side. It appears that their thoughts have turned mysteriously somber. They do not know how to reach out anymore.

As parents and grandparents, I do not think we did anything wrong. We too were running down a new road with unclear directions. Could we have done more? Maybe or maybe not. It is what it is.

What do we do now? There sat four devoutly Christian women who had no answers. It would have felt better to blame something or have a new creative idea about offering hope… but there we sat. What we can offer is our heart-felt prayers!

What we do know is this: when we walk in the Light of His Presence, He abundantly blesses us in numerous ways. In His Love-Light, we can love others more fully and have great fellowship. Perhaps through all of this, we can be living examples of survivors and conquerors.

Trust and Obey & Trust in Jesus

Loving Lord, You alone are worthy of our praise and we worship You and call out to You. We confess that we have not always walked with Your confidence in complete trust—especially during the Covid era. Show us how to reach young people with Your love and mentoring hearts. Amen.