Fellowship

Well my 40 days came and went! I had hoped to blog more about it but our internet has been down for several weeks! We have enjoyed a lot of fellowship with family and friends this past month and I am so greatful for all those that God has put in my path.  My biggest issue is that I just wish I could be around everyone all the time!  God's blessing to me this past year, Paul Robert Derby, turned 1! Wow! Where has the year gone?

So what did 40 days teach me? Oh so much! I may need to take several posts and write what I would have written these past few weeks! Today I will write about fellowship though.

I was fortunate enough to get to work at Bair Lake Bible Camp for a few years right out of college.  I think most people who work in camp ministry for any length of time absolutely love it...but why? It is nice to know that you are making impact but I think it is more about the fellowship you experience there. I think that it is a piece of what God designed us to be like and a piece of what Heaven will be like. (How's that for a camp ministry plug!) ;) When I joined my former church, Mt. Pleasant Community Church, back in 2000, the pastor talked about the Acts 2 community.  Here is a piece of what he was talking about (although I recommend reading the whole chapter for context).

"Everyone kept feeling a sense of awe...they began selling their property and possessions and sharing them with all, as anyone might have need. Day by day continuing with one mind in the temple, and breaking bread from house to house, they were taking their meals together with gladness and sincerity of heart, praising God and having favor with all the people. And the Lord was adding to their number day by day those who were being saved." Acts 2:43-47

Why was this "church" so fruitful? Why were so many coming to know Him? I think that when you can feel the love of God through people, it helps you see Him more clearly. This world tells us that we are worthless mess-ups. That we will never get it right.  Many Christ-followers, including myself, wrestle with the feeling of never being good enough.  I have learned that I focus so much on how not perfect I am and so little on how very perfect God is.

FELLOWSHIP. Isn't it our hearts deepest longing? I know that it is mine. I long for friends to have dinner with or trade babysitting with or take a walk with. I long for fellowship of kindred spirits. I whine a lot about this to my husband. I just don't make friends that easily and so moving is a VERY hard thing on me. It takes years to just get one friend. Ug. We've been going to a home church once a month and the fellowship is so much better than at a standard "church." I miss doing life with people.  I long for a community of believers to just simply live life with. But in all of this, with all that I long for in these friendships...how much do I long for fellowship with the Savior? I am fairly convinced that God keeps people away from me so I will run to Him. 

Setting aside 40 days to commit to running to Him has changed me. I did not complete all that I wanted to.  The chaos of life snuck up on me for a while but I stuck it out. And the beauty of it is? I don't have to stop! There is a fierce battle within me for my heart. More and more I am learning about TODAY. Just run to Him today. Don't worry about all the times you didn't run to Him in the past, don't worry that you will mess up tomorrow...just run to Him today. Fellowship with the one true Almighty God today.

Run (don't walk!) to Him today. He is longing for you to know Him.

-kristin