Read Acts 2:46-47
Every day they continued to meet together in the temple courts. They broke bread in their homes and ate together with glad and sincere hearts, praising God and enjoying the favor of all the people. And the Lord added to their number daily those who were being saved.
Growing up, I remember different adults from our church hanging out at our house. At least that is what I thought they were doing. I was a kid and not very interested in what they were talking about so I never really grasped what they were actually doing until I was much older. They would talk and eat – and laugh a lot! But that wasn’t all. As I grew I began to see that they took care of each other in real, tangible ways. They were there to check on us when my mom spent a whole lot of time in the hospital. They prayed with and for my parents…and for us kids, too. They did life alongside my family.
Most of the families represented by that group have grown and scattered a little further from the community we once shared. But a few months ago I got to see them all together again. There was still a lot of food and laughter going on decades later. It made my heart happy to see how they still hold each other up in prayer. As I looked around the room I was grateful again for their presence in my life that was formed by their desire to seek God with each other and for each other all those years ago.
As an adult, I am grateful for my parents’ example of what it looks like to live vulnerably in community with others who seek God. It has helped me to grow and to learn to trust others with my heart. I have my own little community now. It’s small, but they are there. They cheer my family on. We laugh with each other…and sometimes we cry with each other. We serve with each other and we pray for each other. It is such a gift.
Today, spend time thanking God for the people in your life He has given you, and then ask Him to help you be intentional about how you do life alongside them – to seek Him out in the midst of your relationships.
