Summer 2012 Puerto Rico Blending Trip: The Fellowship

A while back I met a mature sister in the Lord (see my popular series: Conversations with Mrs. L). Yet I found myself clueless whenever I sat across face-to-face with her in her living room. I didn't know how to converse with her. I mean this sister was four times my age, how could I relate with her? 

Should I ask questions? What kind of questions? Should I wait until she asks me questions? What should I do?

So I went to her son-in-law and asked him what I should ask her. He just said, "Ask her anything, even questions that you think you know the answers. You'll be surprised." He was right! Every time I met this older sister, I would just ask her anything and her answers would help me both humanly and spiritually. 

Since then I have learned that in the fellowship with other Christians, especially more mature ones, I'm actually not seeking for answers. I'm seeking for persons who can minister Christ into me

Back to the Puerto Rico trip with Christians on Campus, I can't remember which night I met this older sister in a warm dinner gathering. It was my first time meeting her but I had heard about what a shepherd this sister had been to many others. Her husband had recently passed. I never got the privilege to meet him, a brother who was a pillar in the church.

I was eating dinner on the patio with my friend, a recent college graduate, when she joined us. We had a warm, normal conversation. She introduced herself and told us briefly about how her late husband had a big heart for the Lord's move in the island of Puerto Rico.

At that time, I knew that the best way to fellowship for my friend and I was simply to listen. So between the two of us, I took the lead to ask simple questions, such as how this older sister and her husband met the Lord and how they became involved with the church life.

To someone else, her story may seem to be quite ordinary. Yet there was something else about her that I couldn't really pinpoint at first until suddenly she asked about my siblings. Both of my siblings were on this same trip. She also asked about my friend's plan after college.

The content of this fellowship is quite personal so I can't write about it right now, but I can definitely testify that this sister ministered Christ to us. Her spiritual discernment truly showed what kind of person she was. 

Not only that, what impressed me the most about our fellowship was the fact that her consideration, care, and heart for all of us, my siblings included, were instantaneous and genuine at the same time

The Lord opened my eyes to recognize that these were the characteristics of the Body life. We may be strangers outwardly, of different nationalities and cultures, but the truth is we are members one of another in the Body of Christ.

1 Corinthians 12:26 says,
"And if one member suffers, all the members suffer with it; if one member is honored, all the members rejoice with it."
On that night, this sister's burden became truly ours and ours hers. It was a mutual fellowship.

At the end of that trip, she told me before I left the city, "Remember, mi casa es su casa." Little did I know that I would gain more family members in Puerto Rico. We are all part of the household of God indeed.

More fellowship to come...

Comments

  1. Kat, this is so touching, even without knowing the specific details of your fellowship with this sister in Christ. It's obvious this impacted you.

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    1. Hi Melissa, thank you for reading my blog. Yes, when we keep our heart open and soft to receive fellowship from the other members of the Body of Christ, we can't help but being brought to a realization and revelation that indeed we are members one of another. Our appreciation of the Body becomes higher, richer, and deeper. Thank you again.

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  2. Wow, this is awesome. The Christ in others is really so attracting :) thankyou for sharing

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    1. Yes, RDLC. The Christ in others is for our enjoyment, and that's why we also need to gain Christ so that we can minister Christ into others. Thanks for reading this blog!

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  3. I have the same experience again and again as I visit / travel to places I've never been before, and when I talk to the believers meeting in those places - though I never met them previously - they welcome me as part of the family. Indeed, in the Body of Christ, we have the real family life, which is universal and beyond any human barriers like culture, time, language, preferences, or disposition.

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    1. Right, I'm glad you confirm my experience with yours, Stefan. In human eyes, it is almost impossible to break down these barriers of differences but in Christ, He has broken down the middle wall of partition so that we can all be one (Ephesians 2:14).

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  4. Thanks for the post! I often struggle with the same thing - knowing "what to ask" when fellowshiping with another believer. But actually we don't need to get an answer, we just need to open to the Christ that is in that person!

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    1. Actually this morning, I was reading some verses from the Bible.

      Eph. 1:18 says "The eyes of your heart having been enlightened, that you may know what is the hope of His calling, and what are the riches of the glory of His inheritance in the saints."

      Col. 1:27 says "To whom God willed to make known what are the riches of the glory of this mystery among the Gentiles, which is Christ in you, the hope of glory."

      These verses show how Christ in each one of us are the riches of the glory of His inheritance, this mystery. And this Christ in each one of us is being made known, revealed, to us.

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  5. Katherine, your post touched me because I had a very similar experience when we were in Puerto Rico. I received so much help about some personal situations from a sister that I did not even know until I met her in San Juan. It was amazing how we could have such rich fellowship that really touched me deeply when we had just met. Thank you for sharing your experience in PR, it brought back really precious memories for me.

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    1. I'm glad this post brought precious memories to you. Actually as we go on in the Lord, there will be more precious memories that the Lord would remind us again and again. We will be reminded of how He has preserved us, loved us, cared for us, shepherded us, led us, arranged everything for our daily salvation, and on and on.

      Then as we consider our walk with the Lord, we will be encouraged to press on, to trust in Him, to love Him, to love His heart and His purpose. :)

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  6. Amen, what awesome patterns we have of those who minister life!

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    1. Yes, their ministering to us encourage us to minister life to others!

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  7. What a precious experience! I have had the same experience traveling and meeting believers all over the world. The sweet fellowship we experience as members of the Body of Christ is like the healthy circulation of blood in our physical body. Thanks for posting and flowing your experience and enjoyment of Christ to all of us!

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    1. Wow, that's very good. There needs to be the healthy circulation of life supply in the Body of Christ. Thank you for sharing, Gloria!

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  8. I am also really thankful for these older ones who break my concepts and just minister Christ as LIFE into me:)

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  9. Wow. Lately, I've been reading about being a channel of life and ministering life to others by experiencing Christ! Praise the Lord.

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    1. That's awesome about being a channel of life and ministering life to others by experiencing Christ. I wish you would give me the reference for what you've been reading.

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  10. This is so precious. Its amazing how almost instantaneously other believers and members of the Body of Christ can bear one anothers burdens. It is truly incredible! Thank you for sharing your sweet experience.

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