Over the last few days I’ve been rudely reminded of just how quickly life can come to a halt! We lost a dear friend through a car wreck recently. He leaves behind a sweet wife with three young children. And to add to that, the very next day we got word that one of our distant relatives was killed at gunpoint through a violent crime. So two days in a row we’ve dealt with death in our local church.
How do people that do not have Christ in the center of their life live through such tragedy? Just as I was rudely reminded of the shortest of life, I was compassionately reminded that we are not alone! When we share struggles together, our common love brings some healing to our soul.
We thank the Father in heaven that he gave us “one another” through Jesus His Son. Jesus gave us a new command in John 13:34-35:
34"A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. 35By this all men will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another." (John 13:34-35)
Sometimes, we refer to that “one another” concept as our “forever family”. This is vivid in my heart and mind because I had a friend that use to say “If I don’t see you again on this side of heaven then meet me in the back right hand corner of heaven”; when he died at a young age we all cherished his words and thought yeah! Charlie…we’ll meet you there!
Our togetherness does not stop here at the local church but reaches to where you are; that could be many miles from us here in West Monroe. You have your own story of sorrow or tragedy in your life. The great thing about being in God’s forever family is that the physical miles are only that – “physical” but in our hearts there are no miles between us. Hugh and I may have been to your church to conduct a prayer seminar or prayer retreat; therefore, you and I have our “one another” relationship; we are your brothers and sisters in Christ.
We’re here to pray with you; to mourn with you in hard times and yet to rejoice with you in your happy times. You are not only an important part of the prayer ministry team, but a friend in the fellowship of Christ and we thank you! Please tell me your story! You can reach me at jogopray@gmail.com or write me at PO Box 22, Monroe, La. 71210. Our website address is below.
How do people that do not have Christ in the center of their life live through such tragedy? Just as I was rudely reminded of the shortest of life, I was compassionately reminded that we are not alone! When we share struggles together, our common love brings some healing to our soul.
We thank the Father in heaven that he gave us “one another” through Jesus His Son. Jesus gave us a new command in John 13:34-35:
34"A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. 35By this all men will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another." (John 13:34-35)
Sometimes, we refer to that “one another” concept as our “forever family”. This is vivid in my heart and mind because I had a friend that use to say “If I don’t see you again on this side of heaven then meet me in the back right hand corner of heaven”; when he died at a young age we all cherished his words and thought yeah! Charlie…we’ll meet you there!
Our togetherness does not stop here at the local church but reaches to where you are; that could be many miles from us here in West Monroe. You have your own story of sorrow or tragedy in your life. The great thing about being in God’s forever family is that the physical miles are only that – “physical” but in our hearts there are no miles between us. Hugh and I may have been to your church to conduct a prayer seminar or prayer retreat; therefore, you and I have our “one another” relationship; we are your brothers and sisters in Christ.
We’re here to pray with you; to mourn with you in hard times and yet to rejoice with you in your happy times. You are not only an important part of the prayer ministry team, but a friend in the fellowship of Christ and we thank you! Please tell me your story! You can reach me at jogopray@gmail.com or write me at PO Box 22, Monroe, La. 71210. Our website address is below.
Thanks again, Carolyn “Jo” Gower, Prayer Coordinator
www.ourchurch.com/member/j/jogopray/
jogopray@gmail.com
www.ourchurch.com/member/j/jogopray/
jogopray@gmail.com
