Life Legacies

 

     Fellowship with other Christians is deeper and richer than other relationships. Maybe it is because we know we will be spending eternity together! We all share the same Holy Spirit of God. There is a willingness to love, to encourage and to correct when necessary, a true unity. I witnessed a deep and abiding fellowship of friends in action over twenty years ago.

     I was part of a care ministry team in the early 1990’s. It was a big commitment, 50 hours of training, a two-year covenant to stay in the ministry, along with continuing education and ministry meetings twice a month. After the initial training, we would be paired with someone in crisis. The usual pattern was to set up weekly visits that could last for up to one year.

     One of my first care receivers was very ill. She was expected to live for only about six months, as she suffered from congestive heart failure, lung disease and complete blindness. She lived for six years! I never did take a break from visiting her. In Christ’s economy, when you want to share in His name, He gives you blessings in abundance in return.

     Over those years of visiting Marcia, I became familiar with her group of friends and grew to love all of them. (By the way this is a confidential ministry, but Marcia always introduced me around church as “my Stephen minister,” so I know she wouldn’t mind me sharing her story.)

     Marcia’s group of friends had been a part of the same church community for several decades. They had taught Sunday School, raised their kids around the same time, and several had sorrowed together over the deaths of their husbands. They had studied the Bible together and this group of friends rallied around Marcia. They read to her, brought her food, gave her rides and encouraged her.

     I know now that Marcia and her friends were a part of my training. I had no clue as to how to minister to anyone, even though my heart was in the right place. This group was gracious and kind and opened the Bible to me and opened their hearts to teach me and show me Jesus.

     Marcia’s life had shrunk from a large house down to an apartment, followed by a move to her son’s basement, and finally, to a nursing home and hospice. There came a day when we knew the time was near for her to go to heaven and this band of friends allowed me to tag along to say goodbye to our dear friend.

     I said my goodbyes first and told Marcia all she had meant to me and all she had taught me about being physically burdened in ways I could not understand, yet still being able to show and share the joy of the Lord.

     I sat at a table off to the side as her long-time friends circled her bed. They laughed and cried, shared memories and prayed. And then the sweetest sounds came from their lips as they sang hymn after hymn in beautiful harmony. After decades of sitting in church pews together, they could have gone on for days. It was a glimpse of heaven, like I imagine the angels singing. What a sweet remembrance.

     There was something pure and lovely, and holy about that day. It was the Holy Spirit of Jesus Christ at work in that room. The following verses speak to how the body of Christ can function. I witnessed the truth of these verses that day.

Let the message of Christ dwell among you richly as you teach and admonish one another with all wisdom through psalms, hymns, and songs from the Spirit, singing to God with gratitude in your hearts.  Colossians 3:16

Dear Lord,

Thank you for the men and women of faith You place in our lives to teach us about You. Allow us to share with others the great joy of knowing You and how that changes us even through times of suffering.

In Jesus name

Amen