H7 Story: Sharing Life with Others
By Sara Claiborne
When asked how I have been doing, I find myself responding more often than not with, "I have been busy!" And it is true. I have been. I am sure you have felt the same during certain seasons of life. There are most likely not a lot of gaps in my schedule to squeeze in more commitments, particularly in the evenings.
When my family made the decision to join a Life Group at FCC South Greene, it was with a lot of hesitation. I even told our hosts, "We are here for now, but I don't know how long or how often we can attend. And there will be entire semesters where this night is full of other commitments." I wanted to be very honest about our schedule, and I really wanted to set the expectations early (and to set the bar low).
I will never forget the response I got. "Sara, that's life." Well, yes. Yes, it is. And it is ok and good to live life. The question is, who are we with when life happens? The community we have surrounding us in life deeply changes our experiences and perspectives. This is especially true in our journey to Find and Follow Jesus. Our spiritual community is so important. It allows us to live focused on what matters eternally.
Our Life Group gatherings (which, oddly enough, we are able to fit into our schedule far more than expected) bring togetherness over a meal while having discussions about the Bible. Talking about the Bible on purpose is a wonderful and important practice. Having the space to intentionally do this has proven to be a very valuable part of our week. It provides an opportunity to learn and to apply what is being learned practically. It also provides accountability, confession, celebration, comfort, and so much more with this group of people who have become so important to me.
Watching my son interact with the teenage boys in our Life Group who are encouraging him to know Jesus is a blessing. Seeing my daughter play with the other girls and learn to navigate relationships together has been beautiful. Watching the men get together to help with building projects that have become overwhelming is such an encouragement. Being prayed for and loved by the women in my group is priceless. Taking meals, praying fervently, babysitting kids, running errands, dropping off groceries to those who are sick, mourning, or stretched too thin are all things that regularly happen within Life Group.
The richness of being in a Life Group happens in between the weekly gatherings. The quick check-ins through text from others. The requests for prayer throughout the week when things get heavy. The meal drop offs when someone in the group is sick or sad. The Chick-fil-A meetups to let the kids play on the playground. There is a lot of life that happens throughout the week, and it is in those in-between times that the support and community from Life Group shines through.
What a blessing to share life with others. I am consistently encouraged and challenged in my walk with Christ, and so much of that is due to the group of people in my Life Group. I am still busy, but God has made a way to carve out the space to be involved with this group of people. What a gift it has been! And you know what? Even if my family has to miss a week due to conflicts, we are still members of our Life Group. We are still prayed for and still receive those check-in texts. As the busy seasons come and go, our friends in our Life Group are a part of those seasons living them with us. After all, that's life.
When my family made the decision to join a Life Group at FCC South Greene, it was with a lot of hesitation. I even told our hosts, "We are here for now, but I don't know how long or how often we can attend. And there will be entire semesters where this night is full of other commitments." I wanted to be very honest about our schedule, and I really wanted to set the expectations early (and to set the bar low).
I will never forget the response I got. "Sara, that's life." Well, yes. Yes, it is. And it is ok and good to live life. The question is, who are we with when life happens? The community we have surrounding us in life deeply changes our experiences and perspectives. This is especially true in our journey to Find and Follow Jesus. Our spiritual community is so important. It allows us to live focused on what matters eternally.
Our Life Group gatherings (which, oddly enough, we are able to fit into our schedule far more than expected) bring togetherness over a meal while having discussions about the Bible. Talking about the Bible on purpose is a wonderful and important practice. Having the space to intentionally do this has proven to be a very valuable part of our week. It provides an opportunity to learn and to apply what is being learned practically. It also provides accountability, confession, celebration, comfort, and so much more with this group of people who have become so important to me.
Watching my son interact with the teenage boys in our Life Group who are encouraging him to know Jesus is a blessing. Seeing my daughter play with the other girls and learn to navigate relationships together has been beautiful. Watching the men get together to help with building projects that have become overwhelming is such an encouragement. Being prayed for and loved by the women in my group is priceless. Taking meals, praying fervently, babysitting kids, running errands, dropping off groceries to those who are sick, mourning, or stretched too thin are all things that regularly happen within Life Group.
The richness of being in a Life Group happens in between the weekly gatherings. The quick check-ins through text from others. The requests for prayer throughout the week when things get heavy. The meal drop offs when someone in the group is sick or sad. The Chick-fil-A meetups to let the kids play on the playground. There is a lot of life that happens throughout the week, and it is in those in-between times that the support and community from Life Group shines through.
What a blessing to share life with others. I am consistently encouraged and challenged in my walk with Christ, and so much of that is due to the group of people in my Life Group. I am still busy, but God has made a way to carve out the space to be involved with this group of people. What a gift it has been! And you know what? Even if my family has to miss a week due to conflicts, we are still members of our Life Group. We are still prayed for and still receive those check-in texts. As the busy seasons come and go, our friends in our Life Group are a part of those seasons living them with us. After all, that's life.