Edified Anyway

Posted by Alan Knox on Sep 9, 2008 in discipleship, edification, gathering | 3 comments

So, for the last two Sundays, I have not been able to meet with the church as usual. Last Sunday, we had a small family crisis that we need to deal with on Sunday morning. Nothing major… but we needed to stop and talk about a few things. Then, this Sunday, because of my eye, I was too tired to go anywhere. In fact, I slept most of the weekend. I didn’t realize my eye was taking so much out of me until I realized that I didn’t do much but sleep all weekend.

But, my family met with the church Sunday. And, they brought back greetings and concerns that not only demonstrated that people care about and love me, but they also brought back news that has thrilled me and encouraged me.

For example, a young couple gave us a “Thank You” note. They were simply thanking us for sharing our lives with them. We’ve enjoyed spending time with them and watching them start their new life together as husband and wife. While we haven’t been able to get together as much as we all would like because of schedules, our family is looking forward to accepting their invitation to dinner soon.

Also, the wife of this couple has asked if she can teach a Bible study for our daughter and other girls around her age. We’re excited about the prospects of the Bible study, but we’re even more excited that Miranda will be spending more time with this young lady. She is an excellent example for Miranda to follow both as a young lady and as a wife. Plus, it will be good for Miranda to spend time talking about faith with other people.

Finally, a young man asked Margaret if Jeremy could come to his house this week to hang out. I don’t know if there will be other people there (i.e. other teenagers) or not. But, we’re also excited about the prospects of Jeremy spending time with some young men who can help him grow in his faith and mature as a young man.

So, even though I haven’t been able to meet with the church for the last two Sundays, the church continues to edify and encourage me by their service to us and to one another. I could give other examples as well, but these are the ones that most affect us and our family right now. I thank God for my family – my wife and children, and also my brothers and sisters in Christ. He has surrounded us with such wonderful examples and servants. We always look forward to how he uses them in our lives.