“That is why you are no longer foreigners and outsiders but citizens together with God's people and members of God's family.”—Ephesians 2:19 (GW)

Ephesians 2:19 alludes to spiritual family. God puts other brothers and sisters in Christ in our lives that many of us are closer to than our own biological family.  The ESV version of this scripture states; we are members of the household of God,

These members of God’s household are the friends who support us in our hard seasons. My current knitting group has been gathering since January 2021. We have a GroupMe chat where we share our prayer requests. Most recently, one of the ladies had heart surgery, another surgery for a detached retina and just this week one of these sweet ladies who had only been in our group about 6 months passed away from colon cancer.

While she had asked for our prayers for her cancer and treatments, until this past week, we had no idea how aggressive it was. Even though she was only with us a short while, she touched all our hearts. Despite her cancer and knowing her time here was limited, she had a positive attitude. She always seemed to have smile on her face with a desire to try new things. Learning to knit was one of them!

The morning after I started writing this post, 1 Timothy 6:12 was in my morning devotion. “Fight the good fight for the Christian faith. Take hold of everlasting life to which you were called and about which you made a good testimony in front of many witnesses.”(GW) It made me think of Donna and her zest for life as well as her public proclamation of her faith in being baptized at church a few months ago.

Soon after she moved to Texas, she plugged into a church and small group. That Bible study led her to our knitting group. Although we all only knew her a short period, she left a legacy of how to “fight the good fight.” She leaned into her spiritual family knowing all would be praying for her. She showed others the importance of having this strong support system.

As sisters in Christ, we know we can ask for prayers and get support for the hard season we may be enduring. We can’t face the storms in life alone. These relationships are what lift us up when we are weak. No matter our struggle, we know we can count on the powerful prayers when we ask for them. It is a comfort when you have a community of other believers in your life. If this is missing for you, I encourage you to seek out a church where you can find this.

Father God,

I give You praise for Your grace and generosity of welcoming me into Your family. Thank You for my brothers and sisters in Christ who walk the road of life with me. Only You can provide spiritual family that lifts us up and gives us strength during life’s challenges. Help me to tune into the struggles of others, especially those seeking community. I lift those up to You, who are on the cusp of finding a church family. I ask for courage for them to trust where You are leading them. I pray these things in the name of Jesus. Amen.

July Verse
“My soul rests quietly only when it looks to God; from him comes my deliverance.”—Psalm 62:1 (ISV)

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