Today I have truly felt the love of my fellow brothers and sisters in Christ and I do not know what I would do without them. This past weekend has been difficult for me, my church, and my family, and today I felt very emotionally and physically drained. This morning, after experiencing the unity of the body of Christ in a Sunday morning worship service, I received hope through the Spirit in a sermon about the characteristics of a disciple of Christ.
Tonight at youthgroup, yes, we had a good message, but I was more encouraged by the people that I talked to afterward. With one girl, I shared the difficulty of the week and listened to her, and together we recognized how ready we are for heaven. I also had a good conversation with a friend, a conversation that I had worried about before hand. My friend was understanding and gracious, which was a blessing to me. I talked to a few other friends too, but the conversation that really blessed me tonight was one that I had with one of my best friends.
My friend and I often mutually encourage one another, and tonight, I really needed that encouragement. I poured out my heart and emotions to her, and she listened and explained how she was doing too. What I remember most was her encouragement, which was straight from scripture, to set my mind “on the things above, not on things on earth.” After that, we mutually experienced joy in talking about how much we long for Jesus, and learned that we both are memorizing the same passage of scripture. Our God is amazing!
I am so thankful that God does not let his people walk through life alone, that he created a community that we could find encouragement in. The community of faith is one of the greatest blessings God has given me. Without the Church, I do not know how I could get through this life.
I thought I would let all my brothers and sisters in Christ know how thankful I am for them. I thank God, the father of my Lord, Jesus Christ, when I pray for you, asking that you may be filled with the knowledge of his will with all spiritual wisdom and understanding, that your love may abound more and more, and that you will not lose heart, but continually grow in Christ, setting your mind on the things of heaven. May God’s kingdom come in his Church!
Ripples in the Ocean 
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