Sharing in a life of joy, beauty, and pain.
The joy of celebrating with family.
Magnolia Elynnor Lawyer. There's so much Katelyn and I love about her! We're so grateful for her and excited for her new life journey with the Lord. (I included a picture of the journal entry that caught me in this post.. #dadfail that I didn't have it pulled up yesterday!)
And can I just tell you the intense JOY of celebrating all this with family?!? Our immediate families, yes, but also our church family. Pictures, texts, hugs, tears, stories. Y'all. We feel so loved and honored and supported. And there won't ever be enough words to express the gratitude we have for being able to raise our children alongside the CCC family. You're molding and shaping them with your grace extended and truth taught. Well done!
The beauty of harmony.
I'm thinking about this after hearing the husband-wife duo of Ryan and Maeghan Adams! B-E-A-utifil to hear God's Word sung through the harmonies of their voices! I'm just saying, if an album ever came out, I'd buy it! Thank you for using your gifts to lead and serve Adams! It was (and is) a blessing!
Playing through the Pain
Nearly every Sunday at Christ Community part of the body is walking through some painful life experience. For me personally, with the juxtaposition of our families celebration, 1 Corinthians 12:26 was pulsing in my mind today: "So if one member suffers, all the members suffer with it; if one member is honored, all the members rejoice with it."
Some reflection on that brought to mind the idea of playing through pain. It's a reality that everyday the broader Christ Community family is playing through the pain. We're figuring out how to live. We're pressing into how we can join Jesus in going out. We're playing through the pain. The "adrenaline rush" of knowing Jesus is real. It's strength and power when it makes no sense to have any. It's carrying on when it seems acceptable to quit. And it's all the result of learning how to join Jesus in the fellowship of his suffering.
The power of a long hug.
Yesterday, Mike & Sarah Embry snuck into the building while here for some rest and vacation! When I finally got to catch up with Mike, we just hugged. And hugged. And then in his wisdom, he held on a little more. It was a powerful RE-connection. In some ways, months of ministry was caught up on and conveyed in a few seconds.
It was a moment where we shared in the joy and the pain, and the beauty.
Mike & Sarah, we love you so much! We are SO thankful for you! Hope you took a nap today :)
It always comes back to the power of one.
As D.J. opened Ruth 2 for us yesterday, I was thankful for him pointing out the power of Boaz caring for the insignificant. It also struck me as he read the passage that when Boaz asked his servants about Ruth, they already knew the answers. In other words, his servants had learned from Boaz how to care for people one at a time.
Somehow, so much of life and ministry comes back to that. Noticing the one. Caring for the one. Sharing with the one. Being intentional with the one.
Christ Community, let's live life one person at a time this week.
