One Unit, One Body

As a family we are going through a rough time...something I do not feel I can share but know that you will be praying and I know at some point there will be a resolution to what is going on. During this time, though, I have been truly blessed! This scripture came to mind...The body is a unit though it is made up of many parts; and though all its parts are many, they form one body. So it is with Christ. For we were all baptized by one Spirit into one body-whether Jews or Greeks, slave or free- we were all given one Spirit to drink....But in fact God has arranged the parts in the body every one of them, just as he wanted them to be. If they were all one part, where would the body be? As it is, there are many parts, but one body. 1 Corinthians 12:12-13,18-19.

The Lord brought me this scripture because he has given me the eyes, and the grace to see those in Christ living out this very scripture. I have been blessed to clearly be a part of "the parts forming the one body". Let me share with you....

Yesterday, in the mail, I received a birthday card from a dear sister in Christ, who is a fellow homeschooler and blogger. I have not even know this woman one year, we have never met and she lives in British Columbia, Canada and I in the deep South, Georgia. I have never seen this woman and never talked to her on the phone. The intimate and close friendship I feel from her is not because I get to be a part of her life in the traditional way...going to the same church, babysitting her kids, playing in the park together with our families....the strong bond I feel is from her strong christian faith and her willingness to look upon me as a sister in Christ. I feel like we are one body. God has used her, even though we are thousands of miles apart, living different lives, and maybe will never physically ever spend any time together in the same country little less the same house. She has lifted me up, she has shared my burdens, she has taught me and helped me to grow, she has prayed for me, she has encouraged me, and she has shared my life. That one single birthday card...her birthday was this month and when she posted about it I told her my birthday is this month too...this card meant a great deal to me. It arrived just days before my birthday and on a day when I really needed encouragement. We are two separate parts of the body but "we have formed one body with Christ".

But, it is not only my Canadian friend who has has made this scripture come alive....I have a blogger friend in Alabama. A kind, strong, very musicial, young (in his twenties) man, who has shown such depth of caring, compassion and kindness to me. He also is a christian, has prayed for me, taught me much, brought laughter to my lips, moved me with his depth of faith and showed for me real concern. During the month of November I had a little medical scare (at the time wasn't so sure it was little). I became very quiet on my blog. He, more than once, asked about my where abouts, and prayed for me...showed a genuine concern. He is faithful to read what I post and make comments...share his beliefs with me and be an encourager. But, there again we are such different parts of the body! He is young, single, busy, muscial...I am none of those. We do both live in the south and can relate to that but I know his everyday life is very different than mine but yet we have "formed one body in Christ Jesus" and I really feel it.

There is a bible study I am attending...not at my church and not even my denomination. But there have been a handful of woman who have shared very private parts of their lives with me. We again have prayed together, learned the word together, and cried together. Even though I have found out that some of their beliefs are different than mine, and their lives are lived in a different way than mine, we are one body, one unit. One woman, who I took an instant liking to has recently moved here from Maryland. Her mother and sister came to the bible study one morning and after I shared about the struggle in the "here and after" the mother came and shared with me! She said she was starting, for the third time, on a new path in life. She was encouraging, loving, open and honest. I even asked her if it was easier the third time and she frankly told me NO! But she did share that she continues to be strengthened and her faith becomes greater. Those words and her being so frank with me and also her humor meant a great deal to me. Then she was gone....gone back north and I will probably never see her again. We were different parts...age, background, life experiences...but for those twenty minutes we "formed one body in Christ".

And one last blessing....an elderly gentleman (born 1923), who is from Alberta, Canada came down this past week to visit my mom and dad. He grew up in the area my father did and knows all my dad's family. He is a missionary pastor to the Cree indians in that part of North America. Again, we are different parts....age, background, where we live (he didn't even marry until he was 56, I was married right out of high school). He doesn't have children and his wife passed away some time ago. Yet, when he came out to my home, in the country for a visit we talked, shared, laughted, and encouraged each other. We talked about the scriptures and what they meant to us. "We are different parts but we formed one body".

Again, "the body is a unit, although it is made up of many parts; and though all it's parts are many, they form one body. So it is with Christ......but in fact God has arranged the parts in the body, every one of them, just as he wanted them to be..." I thank you for being your part of the body of Christ...I thank you for coming together with me to form one body in Christ Jesus...I thank my Almighty Father for baptizing me by one Spirit into one body and giving me ,as He has given to you, that same one Spirit to drink. And I thank God for letting me see the fruit of being one unit, one body! Amen...