After facing 2020’s canceled events with minimal social time, safe gathering opportunities fill my heart with joy. Family, friends, and Christian fellowship brighten our days.
Last week one of our granddaughters was giddy with anticipation to visit Poppy and Gigi (that’s us) for the first time in months. She danced around the room and with top-of-her-lungs excitement, shared her good fortune with siblings.
Two days later I was the giddy one. Our son invited us to join his family at a state park where he’d discovered a secluded, crystal-clear stream.
We waded, splashed, found wild muscadines, and watched a toy boat float in the current. We laughed when our grandson covered my feet with sand and applauded when our granddaughter climbed a fallen tree and jumped into the water below.
The fresh air and shady stream of our private haven delighted us, and family time refreshed our hearts.
Additional blessings–Sunday school Zoom meetings and online prayer with friends–refresh my soul and offer connection. I’m grateful for those opportunities, but in-person meetings are one step closer to the norm—warm pre-pandemic fellowship. Would you agree?
Last week when our ladies’ Bible study resumed, we skipped coffee, snacks, and hugs and viewed the masked faces of classmates from a distance. Still, we relished assembling to study God’s Word.
Even more important than gathering with family and friends is the privilege of one-on-One meetings with God. No safety measures or protocols hinder our joy or personal connection to Abba Father.
… In Your presence there is fullness of joy …
Psalm 16:11
The Lord is near to all who call on him, to all who call on him in truth.
Psalm 145:18
We may not be able to participate in all the gatherings we’d prefer to join right now, but we can be just as excited to spend time with God as our granddaughter was to play at our house or as family members were to wade in the stream. What if we replace the time we mourn over lost opportunities with quiet times of worship?
Spending time alone with God in our own private haven offers the peace and joy of His presence and prepares our heart to hear from Him as we pray and study.
When I take my Bible, a journal, and a mug of coffee to our deck, the freshness of morning and the melody of songbirds create a sanctuary for worship and conversations.
Do you have a favorite haven and a designated time for meeting with God? What joys do you experience as you “gather” with Him for fellowship?
Bible verses are from the ESV.