A Very Special Spiritual Gift

Many years ago, before the Lord humbled my heart and brought me to my knees before him, I prayed for community. You see, at the time neither my husband nor I worked in the town we lived in. My commute was thirty minutes to the north, and my husband’s was two hours to the south. Our only connection to our small town was the store we grocery shopped in.

I’m not exactly sure what led to my prayer for community within our town, but I do remember thinking that it would come from a change in employment or from getting to know our neighbors better. Church community was not on my radar.

But sometime later, I ran into an old friend who told me about a new church that his church was planting in my area. My husband and I decided to try it out and were blown away by the number of young families with kids running everywhere. We immediately felt at home and chose to stay.

Those first few months weren’t easy though. Neither of us were following the Lord yet and we didn’t feel like we fit in with those who seemed to know him well. But it was my mom who encouraged me to make an effort. She said that maybe God had a plan for people like us within this body of believers. So I began inviting the women over every time my husband went out of town, and slowly relationships began to grow. As I began to get to know them better, I also began to get to know the Lord. And the more I began to know the Lord, the more open my heart was to these ladies.

Now, twelve years later, those relationships have continued to deepen. We've been raising our kids together. We encourage each other and sharpen each other. We support one another, celebrating the wins and mourning the losses. Unfortunately that first little church plant didn’t make it, but our love for each other has remained.

A couple of weeks ago, I ran across this verse in Romans and was struck with the expression, “spiritual gift”, in relation to mutual encouragement by faith. I have long remembered that first prayer asking for community, and have been awed that God gave me something special that was beyond what I had asked for. But I have never before considered it to be a spiritual gift. That is what it is though, a beautiful gift from above. These women are sisters to me, encouraging me in my faith, and making me strong.

If you have yet to find a church community, please keep looking. If you’ve been attending a church, but don’t feel like you fit in, step out of your comfort zone and make an effort. Maybe you are just what they need in their lives. Maybe they are just what you need. Don’t deny the Lord this spiritual gift from above. It’s the most incredible blessing.

Dearest Father, you have given so many wonderful blessings and gifts to me, but this one is a favorite. Thank you for the community you have placed me in. Embolden me to reach out more, to be more vulnerable, so that I can experience even more of this wonderful gift. Amen.

Try This: If you aren’t finding true community at church, consider what God wants you to do about it. Ask just one person or couple over for dinner, or out to coffee. Join a Bible study or home group. Don’t merely attend church on Sunday, but get involved and make a friend. Ask God for help every step of the way.