Being a community...one body in Christ...

Last Saturday I had a beautiful experience

of what it means to be part of a community...

to be one body in Christ.

While distributing food to the elderly in their homes
with a fellow Guatemalan friend/cook,

a daughter of one of the home-bound elderly came up to us in the street

and collapsed in my friends' arms and began to sob.

All I could hear her say was:

"Thank you...thank you so much for your generosity...

for taking my family into consideration...

for your kind gesture in giving my mother food each week."

This daughter was exhausted from grief because her mother was dying.

We listened to her as she cried, but asked her to take us

back to her house where her mother was dying.

When arriving at the house,

we were welcomed by friends, family, and neighbors

who were all gathered around to support the family in their grief.

My friend and I were able to go into the room

and pray over this dying lady (Petronilla)...

little did we know that she only had 2 hours left to live.

It seems so insignificant-

(giving someone a free meal once a week, 

or visiting someone's house 2 or 3 times in their lifetime)...

but to this family, it meant the world.

And it was a consolation for me to see
how God really does great things with our small acts of love.

It only takes an open heart and willing spirit-

He does all the rest.

After spending a little time with the family,

my friend and I returned back to the main feeding center

where the rest of the elderly were waiting for us

to begin eating their lunch.

Within a few minutes, we had a surprise visit

from a dear missionary friend of mine 

who lives close to the feeding center.

She came with other children from the neighborhood

and they began to sing for the elderly,

filling the place with joy and love.

It was such a beautiful moment to see

what a blessing we can be to one another...

whether it be sharing material goods like food,

or sharing our hearts as we mourn with a family for their dying loved one,

or sharing our joy and youthfulness through songs and smiles.

It is beautiful to give whatever gifts we have

so as to build each other up and make each life more blessed.

"..so we, though many, are one body in Christ

and individually parts of one another." 

-Romans 12:5

We can waste so much energy and time

making life for those around us more of a burden...

and we can so easily forget the reality

that we ALL form the body of Christ.

But, whether we realize it or not-
what we choose and what we do through our actions affects the lives of others.

For me, it was joy this past weekend to experience this edification...

the "building up" of the body of Christ.

May we try to seek each day ways to be more united...

ways to help one another carry more easily their life burdens...
ways to build bridges and make life more beautiful.
May we not forget the beauty it is to be Christians
and to be a part of the body of Christ!