SCRIPTURE: Every day they continued to meet together in the temple courts. They broke bread in their homes and ate together with glad and sincere hearts, praising God and enjoying the favor of all the people. And the Lord added to their number daily those who were being saved. Acts 2:46-47 NIV
THOUGHT: It seems throughout my life relationship has been a challenge. I cut my teeth on being friendly, but that doesn’t mean I had deep, meaningful friendship. I cared so much about what others thought that I forgot to figure out what I thought. I listened intently to others lives and stories, but failed to share my own. Turns out it’s lonely to live like that.
When I was 43, I became very broken and finally came home to God, where, like a prodigal daughter, he welcomed me with a ring, and a robe, and a celebration that included lots of people who are still my friends today. Since that time, I’ve been in three or four churches and learned how to develop the kind of relationship I was missing. Last week I got to spend time with three of the people from those early years. The depth of friendship is amazing and comforting.
At our current church in Tennessee, we are also developing friendships that can go the distance, sharing our lives and our home, going to others’ homes and getting to know them more fully. I teach a Bible study and am intentional about leaving time for the women to get to know each other. We are participating in the life of the body of Christ, where you don’t have to be perfect or witty or have it all together. You just have to be real to give and receive what God created us for: relationship.
Faith has created a space for us to be home – even if we are strangers, or newbies, or broken like I was. Now our job as ‘oldies’ is to create space and hospitality for others who long for home.
SONG:
Faith is a gift and faith is a journey and faith is a promise
Amy L. Clemens, Forever Home, 6.3.22
we don’t walk alone
Faith is a family with God as our father,
And faith our forever home, and faith our forever home.
PRAYER: Oh God, thank you for welcoming prodigals home and making space for true, deep friendship among your followers.
Dear Reader,
I’m glad you’re along and I pray you will be blessed, challenged, and encouraged in your faith by something you read here.
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ABOUT ME:
Blogger Amy Clemens is the author of Walking When You’d Rather Fly: Meditations on Faith After the Fall. In it she explores childhood sexual abuse and how it impacted her faith (or lack thereof) for four decades. You’ll find not only her story, but better yet, the Big Story of God.
Check out Walking When You’d Rather Fly, and learn more about the book and Amy’s other ministries. You will also find her devotional work at Words of Hope.
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