Good morning…
Pitching in to make a feast, our family of six relaxed around the Thanksgiving table. Small circles of family and friends support each of us every day, do our hearts savor the love? We share meals, we share stories, we share an evolving history. We share time, we share gifts, we share words of encouragement. We share heartaches, we share joys, we share hopes and possibilities. Together we live into the invitation of 1 Peter 4:10 (NLT): God has given each of you a gift from His great variety of spiritual gifts. Use them well to serve one another.
Sometimes we use our spiritual gifts to serve those who lack resources, like the mission circle at Northside Church providing Thanksgiving dinner for fifteen families who struggle with food insecurity in our community.
Sometimes we use our spiritual gifts to celebrate life with the small circle of soul friends God gathers around us.
Sometimes we use our spiritual gifts to expand our sense of loving community, like our Homecoming celebration enjoyed at PAWkids last weekend.
Sometimes we use our spiritual gifts to form a text string to keep prayer needs up to date, like our Friday small group who is praying for one friend due to become a first time grandmother next Wednesday and another friend who has asked us to diligently pray for her daughter-in-law, 37-year-old Elizabeth, who is living through chemo treatments as she battles advanced colon cancer. Thank you for joining us in prayer for this faithful, tight knit family.
Life is hard and life is humbling. From a great variety of spiritual gifts, God gives each of us unique strengths to invest in one another. Multiplying the love of God, the communion of the Holy Spirit comes alive and thrives in our small circles of support, both face to face and as we remain connected through pulsing veins of prayer.
The powerful promise of Jesus comes true right before our expectant eyes: “For where two or three are gathered together in my name, (in person or in Spirit) there I am in the middle of them,” (Matthew 18:20, WEB).
…Sue…
P.S. After reading today’s message, one blog friend I have never met wrote me a follow-up thought, sharing her own photo.
“I thought I had none…” she mused, “…then scrolling through pictures I realized I do have a spiritual gift…”
Sometimes our small circle forms into a line and becomes a turkey parade!
