A single mom rested her head against the door jam, not knowing what her next step should be. The fridge was empty; the cabinets were bare. The last bite of bread was almost gone and her and her little boy would soon be hungry. She breathed a quick prayer and headed out to church, not knowing how they would survive through the week.
Church is not a place; church is people.
The tiny community church she attended contained a handful of faithful women and from the moment this single mama stepped foot inside the door of the church, she knew that she was loved and accepted. While the loving atmosphere of the church gave her a sense of community, she did not feel capable of admitting her shortcomings to the group. She had learned to pray in this very space and now her faith in the Lord to provide would have to be enough.
Where two or three are gathered...
One of the women in this church was gifted with an uncanny sense of knowing when others were in need. Perhaps it was her own upbringing of living with next to nothing or maybe it was her spiritual calling, either way, her spirit sensed that the single mama's heart was burdened. This same sensitivity also provided her with the knowledge that the single mama just might be embarrassed to be approached about her needs; she didn't seem ready to fully open her hurting heart. So the wise woman smiled and gave her a shoulder hug, wishing her a wonderful week.
Loving others sometimes requires giving them time to heal.
But the next day, the faithful leader headed to the grocery store. With 9 children of her own, the woman knew how to make money stretch to feed a family. So after her weekly shopping was completed, she took a portion of her grocery budget and bought groceries for the little family of two- the single mama and her sweet boy. Then after unloading her own family's groceries, she headed towards the tiny apartment of the single mom where she piled everything on the porch, rang the doorbell, and left as quickly as she could.
The Lord rewards the secret work.
Decades later, the wise mentor became ill. The single mom had an opportunity to chat with her one day. She learned that the dear lady had one fear: "Who will pray for my children if something happens to me?" And the single mama vowed that day that she would be the one to pray for the 9 children. By name. Every day. The wise woman went to be with Jesus not too many years later and the single mama moved to another state.
Each time I reflect on this story, I'm overcome with the beauty-the beauty of community in a tapestry of lives God so graciously weaves. The beauty He creates when two women choose to take everyday moments and act in His love.
Thank you, Bonnie, for praying for me- one of those 9 children- every day.
Rachel
Check out this simple jelly bean Easter poem to share the love of Jesus with your community.
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