I'm stretching my blogging legs this morning. I'm pretty sure it won't be a marathon today, more of a little blog jog around the block, but you never know what can happen once I get going.
My reflections are simple today. Last night was our first home group following Christmas/New Year break.
While we haven't met formerly for "home group" we've definitely been in contact over the past few weeks. God's timing knows no bounds, or breaks sometimes, He gives us rest when it's needed, but life doesn't always play out the way I think it should.
During our "break" one of our home group members lost his dad. And as God gives and takes, we also welcomed the birth of a baby girl into group, and one of the children decided to be baptized.
I bring this all forward because as much as I want life to be predictable and manageable, convenient and comfortable...in reality it isn't.
As we endured life together as a group, planning funerals, delivering meals, sharing tears, rejoicing in triumphs, and celebrating life I've found joy in the chaos of the last few weeks.
Today as I reflect and write I'm humbled by the ability of these amazing people to share their lives with us willingly. I'm honored to love and be loved, to rejoice with those who rejoice and mourn with those who mourn.
Last night when we gathered together, with giggling children and piles of snow boots and one happy 11 week old puppy... we laughed.
We gathered only for the sake of getting together and discussing the next curriculum. But, we told stories of pulling each other out of snowy ditches, and the crazy extremes we've gone to help meet one another in the middle of a need or a crisis. There was a lot of statements that began with, "do you remember that one time...?" and the laughter followed.
At the end of our evening of gathering as a family, kids filed into the kitchen, to pet the puppy and be first in line for homemade brownies. Watching all of it, a line of scripture from the book of James kept filtering through my mind, like the ticker flashing though scores on ESPN, it read: "But be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves. For if anyone is a hearer of the word and not a doer, he is like a man who looks intently at his natural face in a mirror. For he looks at himself and goes away and at once forgets what he was like."
For me, being a "doer" of the word means growth and maturity in loving God and loving others.
God is doing His part pruning and trimming me. But my growth is measured by my fruit. If fruit is measured by the love, joy, peace, patience, gentleness, goodness, kindness, faithfulness and self control of the Holy Spirit dwelling inside me... I can't be challenged to grow without any of these people.
Without people in my life enduring difficult, beautiful and merciful circumstances, there is no place for fruit to bloom.
I have found real relationships are formed among the fruit of the spirit. How blessed we are, how blessed I am, to live life with these people.
We come heartbroken and grieving, real and raw, joyous and motivated, desiring prayer and connection; our lives are messy and complicated, but considering the alternative, a life without these people would feel unfulfilled.
If I'm to be a "doer" of the word, my life includes people. I'm grateful for each and every one of them...and I am honored by my Heavenly Father, who shares relationships so generously and allows life to happen here.
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