Last year, a season of ministry changed in my life and I began to change as well. I had been working with the youth at our church for many years and it was one of the greatest blessings and privileges of my life. I got to serve and to be a part of many precious souls that God placed in our body. 

Recently, knowing in my heart that it was God’s timing, I pulled away from this area of ministry and just took a breath. During the beginning of that transition time, I felt as though I was walking in a bubble. I felt the Lord’s presence and I knew He was with me but still I couldn’t quite put my finger on what He was doing or saying to me. I was still working on staff in the church office like I had been for years, but soon I found myself busier than I had ever been before. In the last year or so, we had some wonderful new families move into our church body from many different areas. They were all so joyful, kind, loving, concerned, and caring. I too noticed, great students of the Word of God. God had sent us some seasoned believers to our body and some more teachers as well.

Soon, it wasn’t long that we began Wednesday night “Desserts and Devotion.” Our Wednesday services had gone down a little since COVID and it seemed hard to get everyone back. These Wednesday services exploded and became one of my favorite Church Family services. The adults gathered together in the fellowship hall for the Global University Bible studies taught each week by our pastor and various teacher volunteers as well. These were some of the greatest lessons that I had heard. It was such a refreshing time for me. My husband and I continued the discussions most Wednesday nights on the way home. It was like a burning in my heart as the Lord spoke through every teacher and as the body shared together as well. 

The youth had gathered upstairs each week for class and the kids in their classes as well. I thought, this must be what heaven is like. We laughed each week at the large table of men all gathered around one of the tables. Lol! It seemed like the table of men got larger every week. The women were at the other tables where they fellowshipped as well. There were wonderful smells of different homemade desserts weekly of all kinds, and the sweetest fellowship I believe I had ever experienced. 

Later on after these classes began the Lord called me to a 30 day Daniel fast. I thought ok the Lord wants to give me direction so the fast began. Well, 30 days later it was over. I still knew he was with me, but still nothing, no direction, no new Word from Him. I talked with my pastor about my concern. He said I may not know now or may never know, it could be for someone else, or it could be a test to see if I would follow through. I soon thought maybe it was concerning my mom’s health. She has been battling a disease that changed her lifestyle and maybe God knew she needed strength and I too needed strength as well. 

Then the curtain began to open little by little…. 

I felt as though I was getting a fresh glimpse of the body of Christ. It was as though I was going from door to door peeping in and watching as the kids played, sang, and had story time. I would hear squeals of joy. Soon the bell rings and the kids come running to the fellowship hall, all of them just mingle in getting hugs and squeezes from their church family. A safe loving place no matter the age. Then here comes the youth entering into the fellowship hall. A dessert for them is shared along with a roar of conversations. They shared together with their church family about school and home life, needs of prayer, and concerns. I then heard one of our youth say, on their way out the door, “don’t forget to pray for me,” for they were leaving the following morning for college. Wow, I found my heart was breaking, burning, and still rejoicing all at the same time in this church body. It was then that I realized that I was in fellowship, I was laughing, crying, praying, and getting a fresh glimpse. The beautiful body of Christ. 

Well….., I thought I was going to end this blog here. For it is now, at the end of this blog that the Lord reminded me of the prayer I prayed at Ladies retreat last March. My prayer was, “Lord I want to experience Joyful friendship. I see the new families coming in and I hear all the Joy but I don’t feel apart.” I cried for about an hour at the retreat. The ladies prayed for me. Some in disbelief that I felt this way. It wasn’t the fault of the beautiful body of believers, it was me, I needed to come all the way inside the door and take my place. It was then that the Lord said, ‘this is what the fast was for.’ He heard my cry at the retreat and knew I needed a fresh glimpse!                                                                                                                                                                                 Acts 2:42-47  “All the believers devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching, and to fellowship, and to sharing in meals (including the Lord’s Supper), and to prayer.”