Fellowship

After a long battle several months ago, I would describe everything then as grey. Everything was just grey. I could feel the "clouds" weighing in on me. Just talking to people took extreme effort. Hermitage was desirable. Everything seemed to be a mountain. Ho-hum. Life with chronic illnesses and pain is challenging. We often want to hide as it seems overwhelming. During a flare, I often find it difficult to tell the difference between when I should stay home due to honest physical limitations and when it is a spiritual battle. And yet, God has given us a need for fellowship. We are to bear one another's burdens.

Another Sunday had rolled around. It had been a couple weeks since I had been well enough to attend church. As those with chronic illnesses know, loneliness and isolation easily set in. The longer they set in, the more difficult they are to overcome. All my effort went in to simply attending church that Sunday. It was obviously a spiritual battle as I fought to obey. (Hebrews 10:24-25)

My pastor, knowing nothing of my battle, sat down to chat before the service. He took time to visit and check up on the various life challenges in my life. He then graciously spoke truth and encouragement just where I needed it while still unaware of my discouragement battle (to my knowledge).

The music that day was used of God to minister to my specific needs. My spirit began to lift. After church, the grey continued to lift as one by one my dear sisters in Christ stopped by to say a word of encouragement.

As I left church that day, my grey had turned to sunny skies. I considered what God had done for me and began thinking of all the lonely, hurting souls who had not made it to church. My resources are limited. How can I reach out? How can I help them? I thought of several things that which mean a lot to me for others to do which are within my abiliity:

• Listen. Those who are house-bound often get lonely. I can listen when they tell of their challenges and needs, even when they repeat themselves.
• Share. Yes, share their burden, but I can also share my burdens. Often the house-bound to reach out to others, but don't know how. They long to know how to pray effectively, specifically.
• Encourage. When one is chronically ill, it is easy to focus on the mountains instead of the God of the mountains. Encourage them with Scripture that God is using in your life. Be careful, though, not to throw Scripture at them. :) 
• Write. Send notes of encouragement. Yes, text and email are great, but paper and ink mean a lot. Short notes are just as encouraging as long ones. Simply show love by sending a note.

God made us to need fellowship. My fellow sufferers, seek fellowship with other believers as often as possible. Then, don't forget your family who are housebound. Reach out to them in friendship.