Building a Community in Unity

One of the many things I do in service to the LORD, is leading a faith based grief recovery program called GriefShare.  I have a wonderful partner, Peggy, who co-leads with me having lost her husband over 20 years ago, her mom to suicide, a brother this last summer and a host of others close to her, and, she recently retired, so no, she isn't 'ancient'.  No coincidence, annually, we lead a stand alone, few hour, meeting called "Surviving the Holidays" the first Saturday in the month of November, yesterday being the day.  I say no coincidence, for many reasons.

1.  I find myself standing in approaching grief with the loss a dearly loved friend who has been a spiritual 'father' to my heart and soul.
2. I have been blogging about grief, my own and a bit of others.
3. God used the meeting yesterday, to bring complete strangers into my life, strangers who understood me and I they, not only because of our faith, but because they had recent significant losses in their world.
4. As I continually pray for and spend time with the lives of others who have attended our workshops, the two ladies who came yesterday added to my list, I find personal strength and healing.
5. I find these meetings encouraging and refreshing because even though 'I know the stuff', walking together as those who have lost loved ones is encouraging.
6. Our gathering finalized the need to start another piece of teaching and learning for the benefit of our community.

 The timing of the meeting, and the attendance of two ladies seeing the opportunity on the website (griefshare.org) met each of us, including Peggy and I,  where we are, with our experiences in sweet union of care.  No meeting is ever the same, having done this particular aspect of the program for four years.  I expect to see God show up. I pray diligently for Him to do so.  For the first time in our offering of this annual event, we had no confirmation of any attending, wondering what God was up to, and by the end of the meeting, it was absolutely clear.

God consistently demonstrates His plan for me...I am to spend a lot of time waiting while preparing for what is ahead.  Be it a change of church (only once in 38 years) or change of job and calling, everything happens slowly, MUCH slower than I want.  In each 'change' the time of waiting and  preparation is paved with beseeching prayer, interacting with Him and His word, the Bible.  I used to find myself asking, "Did I hear you right, LORD?"  "What are You waiting for?"  "Let's get this show on the road." Finally figuring out, after my last long stint, finding myself unemployed having never been so for so long (4 years), this IS His 'general' plan for this guy...to wait in and as preparation.

An example of such is found in what burst with new thrust yesterday.  For nearly two years now, I believe God was leading me to start a network group of those who lead and co-lead in grief recovery ministry.  Peggy and I have met many challenges along the way as leaders ourselves, thinking that surely others must be going through similar situation.  As I examined the GriefShare website, the number and frequency of groups has decreased.  I recently spoke with another pastor who had a thriving grief group with excellent leaders watch the program disappear from the ministry at the church he shepherds.  For some time now, with my teaching skills and heart for others, I felt surely we could all benefit from a gathering of those who lead grief recovery ministries.  And I believe the door was finally cracked open yesterday.

The only two attendees at yesterday's meeting were from another church in the area, one an attendee of that group who saw our listing for this one time meeting asking the co-leader attend, with the second being that leader.  Both having faced the loss of a child, among other losses, our meeting was filled with discussion and care, for one another.  It was a sweet time, reminiscent of each meeting Peggy and I have had privilege lead.  God always shows up.  He always speaks to our hearts.  He always offers healing and leading to those who choose receive from Him.  And this time, He seems confirming is the time to begin the road of gathering.

I find myself siting on yet another precipice, an additional call.  Using my gift of encouragement and teaching, He seems to be confirming now as the time to assemble care leaders in grief ministry; from any church, any denomination for the benefit of our community.  Rather than have many groups with only a few attendees of the grief stricken, what if we were to partner with other programs, sharing the ministry for the benefit of all?  What if we came together to discuss and learn from one another the leading of God through the storms?  What if we joined to share the amazing healing our time together with those God brought has brought us as leaders?  What if, instead of focusing on our denominational differences trying to attract people to our distinctly different church communities, we came together focusing on the rich commonalities of our faith focusing on letting Jesus, the leader of we all, bring His healing into our community, drawing us all in need to our churches standing in unity?

We, here in our small community of Santee might have greater impact should we all gather, with our Leader, as leaders of faith.  My prayers now focused with greater impetus and drive; my heart fixed on the immense calling of our God to reach those here; my gifts and talents once again finding themselves at the starting gate of another opportunity of faith; mixed deeply in the preparation of His work, His calling, His desire to use us, His people for the amazing work of building faith in the only One worth building faith on is challenging this heart to move forward again.  And yes, it will have it's high and lows, struggles and celebrations, but, I know that when God shows up, miracles happen.  I find my heart, and I believe God's saying, it is time; Time for building a community of faith, in unity.