Small Group

I left church tonight with such a joyful heart. I felt as if I had just seen the face of a newborn baby, or like I was just given the best news in the world. There really wasn't anything extraordinary that happened on the surface, but underneath all that could be seen - something amazing happened.

After dropping my kids off for Awana's I headed on up to room 205B for a time of introductions. A brand new small group was born on this night - one that God orchestrated from the beginning of time. A group of strangers brought together for the sake of committing to one another and to God. There is nothing in the whole wide world like it.

I felt like being casual tonight, so I proceeded in such a way. I stepped into the room (a few minutes late) and then asked for some help moving the tables aside. I really wanted to create an atmosphere that would be conducive to conversation. With a little bit of elbow grease we proceeded to form a circle with the chairs, while the tables sat off to the side. Putting my ladies to work right away, already began a connection.

After a short prayer of blessing, one by one we went around the room and began sharing. We started with our names and our previous experiences with Small Groups. Some of the ladies had good stuff to report, while others not so good. Then there were a precious few that had never ventured along this terrain before.

God has brought together the most lovely mix of women. I have to be honest in saying that I didn't know how in the world I was going to fit another thing on my calendar. It seemed so much easier just to cancel everything and keep my Wednesday nights free and clear. But God had very different plans, and I am so grateful for His gift of perseverance. This new commitment will be well worth my time.

I feel very much connected to my group - and we've only had one meeting so far. There was this heightened awareness of God's presence as each of us shared a bit about our lives. We are a mix of ages, spiritual maturity and backgrounds, but we all (I guess I can really only speak for myself) but I got the sense that we were all very much one in heart.

Like I told my ladies tonight, "I love you all - already!" And I was speaking very genuinely from my heart. Something stirred in me tonight that I didn't realize was asleep. It will be neat to see what unfolds with this new discovery.

God truly is up to something absolutely amazing. Looking into the eyes of this newborn baby group, sends a thrill of hope and possibility like nothing could.

If you haven't connected to a Small Group yet, take that step and seize the moment . . .

- the moment is now.