Community

 ^"Let us hold tightly without wavering to the hope we affirm, for God can be trusted to keep his promise.  Let us think of ways to motivate one another to acts of love and good works.   And let us not neglect our meeting together, as some people do, but encourage one another, especially now that the day of his return is drawing near.--Hebrews 10:23-25

I really think God calls us to be in community with other Christians....One of the biggest ways I have seen God's hand through our suffering is through community. Our church community especially has been our family in St. Louis when the days have been the hardest and our real family was hours away.  I can look back 8 years ago now, when God led us to a church and nudged us to join a small group--a group with which we met for over 5 years.  He prompted us to divide and conquer and start a new group at our house.  What a blessing all these people have been to us!

I am continually amazed at the goodness of people--God's people who have shown us compassion and love day in and day out.

My bestie has been gone on a mission trip this week to Kosovo.  I don't think I realized how much I relied on her for the everyday.  She is doing amazing things there this week--showing the kids there so much love:)  But I miss her!  She dropped everything to speed to the hospital the night Greg called to say that things were going downhill with me.  She dragged me out of bed last winter almost every day and forced me into her car even to just go to the grocery store.  She went to the cemetery the day Norah would have been born and placed a pinwheel there since we were out of town.  She has just listened to me cry over and over and over.  I could go on and on and on...so blessed God brought her into my life:)

One could say all these things are coincidence, but I know God was working on us even all those years ago.  He knew we would need community.  I think everyone needs it, and if you don't have it now, I pray that God leads you to it!  You will feel loved beyond measure, and it will make you praise Him even more.