Small Groups have been a joy, and they brought friends I would not have any other way. SG’s helped heal my hurts in a way that I never thought possible. I liked to work behind the scenes, ask me and I will do anything for you. Speaking in front of groups was not my forte! They say that speaking in front of people is one of the scariest things that a person can do. Well, that was me.
Then on a Saturday morning, Dan and I received a call that our youngest son had been killed in a car accident. It’s a call no parent ever hopes to receive. I was not sure how I was going to face life without my son, but God had a plan.
Nine months later I sat in my office and received a phone call, EMS was at my house. Pastor Philip made some calls from his office, and in a few minutes, he came out and said, “Sweetheart, sit down”. At that moment, I knew what he had to tell me. Dan had a major heart attack at home and passed instantly. I made it through the grief, pain, and hurt. Life does go on with the help of your family, friends, and the two best pastors that God ever put on this earth. It takes time and perhaps you are never the same, but MAYBE that is the way God wants it!
EC SMALL GROUPS- were started, and I taught Sisterhood. I thought maybe with the loss of my son and husband of 53 years, I could help others with their hurts, pain, and past. Show them they could overcome the regrets they have of the past. But what I found and what I didn’t count on was that the Sisters in the class were God’s hands and feet that helped me heal. God healed me by using my sisters. But, still, I can't imagine in my wildest dream how it happened. But it did.
In Sisterhood the connection is so real! We love each other, cry together, and pray for one another. We laugh a lot. God is so good. I still miss my husband and son, but they are in the place that all of us are striving to get to. So, if you need someone to love you, get in a Small Group! There will be challenges, but you will have God on your side and your new family to guide and lead you.
I read a quote one day that says, “God uses our hurts, our grief, and past to build a platform for our ministry. So, if you have any hurts that you feel God cannot heal, join or try to host a SMALL GROUP! Watch what God not only can do but what He will do. SMALL GROUPS is a place for sharing, praying, and building friendships. Having fellowship is so important in our lives today, so get in a group!
Remember Jesus fellowshipped with His friends and broke bread, if Jesus needed to fellowship then He wants the same for us.