Wednesday, February 29, 2012

The gift of gathering.





Matthew 18:19
For where two or three gather together as my followers, I am there among them.


As we exited the Burger King, I heard the sound being carried in by the wind.

It was a familiar sound.

I turned my head to try and locate where the sound was coming from.

As I looked across the street, I found the source.

A group of people were huddled together in the parking lot outside of a restaurant.

They were laughing, and talking.

One woman wrapped her arm around another woman's neck, bringing her in close to her for a sweet  embrace.

They giggled within their conversation with one another.

The two men were talking, as another pulled out his wallet and showed him a picture from it.

The man viewing patted the other on the back and they both smiled.

The sound resonated from across the street, even smothering the sound of the busy traffic between us.


It was the sound of gathering.


The sound of people, together.
I smiled as I watched the people engage one another and enjoy eachother's company, even if for that small moment in the parking lot outside of that restaurant.

A warmth poured over my heart.

And I thought...

how God must feel as He watches His children gather together.

How that smile of His within that moment must light up the universe.

I thought of the past few months and how much gathering there has been in our life.

I think of all of the people who have gathered with hands clinched  to pray for my husband and I as we walk forward into our new journey with blind faith.

I thought of the group of amazing women God has brought into my life over the past few months at a time that He knew I would need them.

I relived each moment of gathering with them in my mind.

I thought of the feeling of elation of being part of a weekly Bible study with these women and the gathering around His word to grow closer to Him and closer to one another.

I thought of what we have shared wtih eachother and the gifts of wisdom and insight I have walked away with within those small gatherings.

I thought of my little family and how we gather around the table and living room in the evening to share our day and our laughter with one another.

I thought of my bigger family and how we gathered just a few short months ago on my father's porch to take a picture, to commemorate the giving and sharing of life and love with eachother. How we each left with something new that the other had given so graciously.


The gift of gathering...


As I watched the smiles on the faces of the group gathering across the street,
it reminded me of the feeling of love and hope that gathering can bring.

The feel of belonging to something bigger than just ourselves.


The feeling that our Father intended for us to have when He placed us on this floating globe together.


How as early as creation of man and woman, He did not intend for us to live alone or secluded from the gathering together.

He gave us the gift of gathering, of assembly, of embrace, of fellowship with one another, because He knew we would need to give to one another hope and love and joy within the clinching of hands and hearts.

He knew that when we would gather together, it would smother the noise and business of life, that at times, keeps us separated and distant from one another, preventing us to give and receive from that gift.

He knew we would give to one another the message of Life that pulsates within us and among us as we gather.


He knew that we would find healing for our brokenness when we gather.

He knew that we would share Him with one another.


He knew, that as flowers in a bouquet compliment eachother with their beauty and hold each other up, we would also compliment each other's beauty from within and hold one another up.
He knew that we would grow together and blossom in our gathering.

I praise God today for the gift of gathering.

I thank Him for the beauty that arises from it.


We all have a gift to give to someone else.

As you gather today at home with your children, at lunch with friends, at your job around the office lounge room table, over coffee talk, or wherever you gather best...

remember that as He gave us the gift of gathering together, He also wants to be included in our gathering.


His love will gather there.



Hebrews 10:24-25
And let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds,  not giving up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but encouraging one another—and all the more as you see the Day approaching.














4 comments:

  1. You so awesome!
    Maddy

    ReplyDelete
  2. i love your comment. :) it's true, you know.... you so awesome. :)
    love you!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Yes, thank you. I am awesome. I'd like to hear that again sometime. LOL Thank you...I do believe you are awesome as well. :) Love you back!

      Delete

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