This is the Church

If one part suffers, every part suffers with it; if one part is honored, every part rejoices with it.  Now you are the body of Christ, and each one of you is a part of it. 1 Corinthians 12:26-27

 

I have a group of friends who are like my sisters.  They are the measure with which I define the word “friend.”  To some people, a friend is someone they occasionally see for coffee or a workout.  A person they call to check in with every now and then.  A person on their Christmas card list.  For me, a friend is someone to whom I’m deeply loyal and passionate.  A person I know almost as well as I know myself.  A woman I could easily call “sister.”  These friends, for me, represent the body of Christ.  They help me make sense of 1 Corinthians 12:26-27, and while my closest friendships have lasted for years, a recent celebration reminded me in full force what it means to be part of the body of Christ.

 

My friend Rebecca announced she is pregnant.  I wish I could describe the sense of elation her news brought.  You see, Rebecca and her husband, Travis, have waited longer than they wanted for a baby.  They didn’t get pregnant as quickly as they had hoped, and during their season of waiting, they enlisted the prayers of close friends and family.  I was honored to be one of the few asked to pray for their desire.  Last spring, Rebecca and I met weekly one on one for a Bible Study.  It was a beautiful time for us to study God’s word and pray together each week.  There were times last year when our study would end with both of us on our knees praying for her future child and my upcoming marriage.  There were times when we cried together.  Times when we laughed at our doubts knowing that God had a purpose.  Times when we shared faith that was strong enough to move mountains.  Times when we, in tears, shared fears that were overwhelming.

 

When Rebecca called to tell me she was pregnant, I was overcome by thankfulness and flooded by memories of all the nights we spent together, or I spent alone, begging God to send her a baby.  I have never felt more joy for another person in my entire life.  Rebecca gave me permission to tell Andy, and that night, I lay in bed beside him unable to fall asleep because I was so overcome with happiness and excitement.  I remember saying to him, “This is exactly what the church should look like.  We should rejoice like this when others rejoice.”  It also occurred to me that the only reason I was able to rejoice with Rebecca was because I had also been able to mourn with her.  I was there to cry with her when God’s timing didn’t turn out to be her timing.  I was there to plead with her to the Lord that he bless her and Travis with children.  And when it was time for her to celebrate, I got to celebrate with her.

 

Last weekend, Rebecca had a gender reveal party.  I wasn’t able to attend as I was at my brother, Casey’s, rehearsal dinner, but during dinner, I kept my phone in my lap waiting to find out if she and Travis would be welcoming a little boy or a little girl.  I could hardly stand the anticipation, and when I got the text saying, “It’s a boy!” I could have cried again right in the middle of my brother’s celebration at the opportunity to attach a name – Davis Matthew Warren – to the awesome answer to prayer for this small body of believers.

 

I loved having the backdrop of Davis’s reveal against the beauty of my brother’s wedding.  The next day during Casey and Alley’s wedding ceremony, the priest asked the congregation if they would support Casey and Alley in their vows, and in light of Rebecca’s celebration, I was quick to ponder the seriousness of the vow the priest was asking of the congregation.  The celebration is easy – the party, the wedding, the laughter and fun – but the suffering is hard.  The tears, the support, the crises - those times are difficult, and it is hard to support each other during the rough spots.  From experience, I know it is almost impossible to think of words of encouragement and new ways to pray for the friend who is waiting and trying desperately to trust – for a baby, a marriage, a healing.  The suffering is difficult and heart wrenching.  The beautiful, wonderful truth, though, is that we are blessed abundantly more when we’ve walked the rough road with those people in our body of believers.  We may suffer more often when we invest in our friends, but we also celebrate more frequently – and to a deeper extent knowing how God answered a desperate prayer.  In the past 12 months, through my body of believers, I’ve gotten to celebrate three new baby boys, a new engagement, two weddings, a new job, and a formerly hard-hearted family member claim Jesus as Savior. God is good.  This is the church.