The wonder of fellowship

Often Jesus manifests His presence in our lives through the words and actions of fellow believers. That reality was demonstrated in dramatic fashion in our lives last week after my wife suffered a serious fall.

Soon after arriving at the emergency room I was able to text a handful of brothers and our fellowship prayer team leader as a series of examinations and tests began in a busy ER center. Prayers for peace yielded immediate results, and prayers for His protection were answered when we ultimately learned my wife had suffered no breaks or threatening internal injuries.

"You're battered and bruised," said the physician, "but not broken."

With that welcome news we were released to the comfort of our home, where we learned of continued prayer on my wife's behalf. We also saw Christ's love reflected by His children in the form of phone calls, visits and delivery of meals, one of which included the delicious homemade bread pictured here.

My wife recalls the painful minutes after her fall on a slippery deck a block away from our home. She remembers asking "Why, God?" as she struggled alone with the pain and uncertainty of the injury that occurred when she was simply trying to deliver a pie to our nephews.

The answer to her question is still not certain, but we see clearly that she was never alone. God was present throughout her ordeal, protecting her from a myriad of physical injury possibilities more serious than what she suffered. We see clearly the opportunity the fall created for an immediate call for His comfort and protection. We have experienced the love He expressed through many gracious brothers and sisters who came alongside, offering His love through prayer, phone calls, visits and delivery of meals prepared with loving hands.

We give thanks, Jesus, for the unconditional love you modeled for us as you "emptied yourself" and became flesh, ultimately choosing -- even though you were without sin -- to take on our sins and die on the cross so that we may be redeemed, admitted into the promise of eternal life with the Father rather than suffering the eternal separation we deserve. We give you thanks for the wonder of the fellowship of believers, a precious and powerful means of manifesting your presence in our lives.

Acts 2:42 They were continually devoting themselves to the apostles' teaching and to fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer.