As my best friend and I rode her golf cart around the pond admiring the beauty of the late afternoon, she began to point out the cypress trees in the water and on land. There were small clumps of two or three cypresses scattered here and there, tall, and stately. A variety of trees had once stood among them, but had been removed, leaving only the cypress trees. When high winds struck the area a few years ago, the storm had broken out the tops of all the cypresses except two. The lack of protection and support from stronger trees had proved detrimental.
Looking at those trees made me think about us as Christians; the church; the body of Christ. We need each other desperately! We go through seasons where the storms of life hit us hard. If we don’t have others to surround us and be there for us, we can easily lose our grip.
Discouragement, despair, and defeat have a way of sneaking in when you least expect it. When the wind blows strong and hard, one can feel overwhelmed and broken. Yet, if we surround ourselves with those who will encourage and stand with us, we are more easily protected from the squall of the battle around us.
In First Corinthians, we learn that the body of Christ is not one member, but many (12:14). God has placed each of us right where we need to be within the body as He desires (12:18). The members should care for one another whether there be suffering or rejoicing (12:25-26).
Where has God placed you? Are you paying attention to those around you that are struggling to keep their head above water? You may be that beacon of light to offer hope and healing to a hurting soul. Be available and willing to weather the storm with others.
Maybe you are the one going through the tempest. Never be afraid or ashamed to cry out for help. Others can only stand with you if they know you need them.
God is always there for each of us no matter what. In like fashion, as His body, let us find ourselves “standing firm in one spirit [and one purpose], with one mind striving side by side[as if in combat] for the faith of the gospel.” (Philippians 1:27 AMP)
[Digging deeper – Acts 2:42-47; Phil. 2:1-4; Col. 4:7-18; Heb. 3:13; James 5:13-16; 1 Peter 4:8-11]
Needing each other,
Beverly <><
Photo Credit: photo by Beverly Lussi
As I was looking out my kitchen window, movement at the base of the fence caught my attention. As I rose to get a closer look, I knew exactly what was going on. A mama mockingbird had a pesky squirrel on the ground giving it what for! Running for its life with the angry bird dive bombing it across the yard, the squirrel eventually escaped through a hole in the fence. This was not the first time the birds had put the squirrels on the run in my back yard. When babies are in the nest, you can expect heightened protection mode from the parents! The enemy might be bigger, but it doesn’t stop my feathered friends from attacking with fierce courage.
During the summer of 2013, I had lens replacements in both eyes due to cataracts. Because I’d worn corrective lenses of some form or fashion for almost fifty years, my husband encouraged me to get the special lens that would correct both my near and far sighted vision. I must say, it’s been great not to wear glasses or contacts anymore.