I have had the privilege to share quality time with some very special people over the last year. They are my fellow students in the Spiritual Direction program. And the gift they have given me is a true experience of joy, fellowship, and God's love. We have studied together, eaten together, sung and worshiped together, walked and talked together. We come from different backgrounds, have varied work experiences and different personalities. But what cements us in a strong bond is that we are all walking the same journey - wanting to be close to God and share that experience with others.
A vital part of our bond is honesty, with each other and with our God. We are open, and feel safe in that openness. Sharing our worries, concerns, and joys helps understanding and reveals that deep down we have matching frailties! And the neat thing is we can rejoice with each other, even in our frailties!
A month ago, I was part of a more temporary community, in that we were together for just a long week end. I was fortunate to be able to travel to South Carolina to a Christian Writers' Retreat where we shared our writing and learned to improve and hone our gift. There we ate and talked together, worshiped, laughed and cried together, shared in each others endeavors and successes, gave advice and received it. What a great experience it was!
It always surprises me how much a group of "strangers" can coalesce so quickly into a small community, a little church, a part of the body of Christ. What a blessing!
"They devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and to fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer." Acts 2: 42
