Day 235
Stadium Lights On
Scriptural phrases are often like nursery rhymes to me. I use them, I hear them, I read them, they chant. Then one day stadium lights bolt into my thick soul and the phrase takes on new depth and meaning. My spirit woman begins to understand beyond the common.
It happened last night. A phrase burst into meaning as worship swirled around my tired body. I dozed in and out of sleep lulled by the worship team at a local house of prayer - EHOP in New Holland at Petra church. All of a sudden, as my body hunched down in the church chair, my spirit woman bolted out of slumber. Fellowship of suffering, fellowship of suffering... the chant was taking on life as the Spirit was streaming meaning to me from the Father. (Philipians 3:10)
I am experiencing a fellowship as I allow my Father to lead me to suffering. For suffering has brought me to a rich fellowship with my sisters and brothers as we cry, hug, huddle and pray, over deep sadness and hurt. We share the truths Jesus is speaking to our hearts and we yearn for more of Him with our encounters. Sadness, suffering, hurt, and pain lean us in toward our Father and to one another. And as He leads us to each other, using the hurt, trauma, and pain, He is building deeper, tighter, and more meaningful relationships. There is no time for small talk.
This fellowship of suffering is rivaling any small group I have ever attended. This fellowship of suffering comes from pain embraced. This fellowship of suffering is rich, deep, penetrating, constructive and building a mountain of hope (Romans 1). We suffer and huddle together to bring to the light, to talk, to not silence one another. We lay games in the ditch, we travel the dusty road together. We fellowship of sufferers embrace as we learn to care for each other's souls.
I can think of nothing else as this phrase breaks into a number of clear cut meaningful shards. Only a loving God would make heartache a point of deep and abiding friendship. Only a loving God would allow us to fellowship over suffering. For He suffered so that we might fellowship.
To my fellow sufferers, I will meet you on the road.
No comments:
Post a Comment