TLP II

Here are my TLP's for this weekend.... I promise I won't do this all the time. It might get old. But tonight, I wanted to blog (since I've missed it so much), and really, have nothing more on my heart than to share the wonders of God's love for us. So, without further ado....

How God reminded me of His love this weekend, aka, TLP, part II.

1. & 2. For that matter, are the same. Fellowship.

Saturday it was through the fellowship of two amazing friends, both "Loaded Potatoes" and wonderful, amazingly funny and cool women of God, who I am still astounded that I even get to be friends with. They're that cool. As we sat at Starbucks, latte's in hand, talking about vulnerability and relationships and independance and Him, all I could think about was how God has given us not just friends, but truly a body, made up of many parts, that is His church. For we share in the joys of friendship, but are brought together spiritually through the blood we are mutually washed in. And all of this for His glory and our joy.

Yet today, as I buckled against the fears and issues I have with feeling left out of the loop, or purposefully ignored, I found solace in the comfort of my married friends. During this time of interpersonal struggle, I stopped to pause, and think that no matter what our labels are, single, married, old, young, popular, a loner, whatever, we are all God's children, part of His body, and are made to work together, ascribing no one as a lesser member, but honoring all equally. Tough to do sometimes, when personal feelings come into play. How do we not show favortism to those we love, or get along best with? How do we show honor to those that we'd rather ignore? Fellowship isn't just the fruit of an action, the benefit of what God calls us to. It's a job sometimes too. Something to work at, and be disciplined about. Something He desires for us, has created us for, and we grow greatly, and sometimes difficultly through.

There is joy in fellowship - all kinds of it. The joy you get when young kids want to spend time with you, and think you're special. Crazy kids! The joy you get when you can spend sometime hearing from parents, or grandparents, and gleaning from their wisdom and love and seeing life from their more experienced perspective. There is much to be learned in fellowship, much that can stretch us. Sometimes it's just the act itself, of being in fellowship, that can be stretching, as this sometimes self-appointed loner can attest to. But this weekend, not only am I joyfully glad for the privilege of sharing in it, but I'm praising our wonderful Father, who in His wisdom and forethought, created us with a need and desire for it. Well done, Dad, well done.