I particularly enjoy this time of year at the shore. There are so many activities to keep us entertained. Looking out my window I watched the fireworks following the Fall Block Party in Ocean City. How fun it is to watch fireworks several times a year from the comfort of my own home while skipping the sometimes chilly night air.
My evening walks are a great blessing to me. It is such a privilege to have time to slowly walk and talk with my Father God while I take in the beautiful sights of His creation. This evening I was over at the edge of the bay which was as still as a lake. A lone juvenile seagull was slowly paddling around the pilings of the docks looking for food. What more could I desire than the beautiful sight of still water capturing the sun’s colorful setting filtered through the clouds with one of God’s critters to entertain me.
We can choose to either be busy with things to do or to be satisfied with the stillness of creation. God gives us a chance to enjoy it all.
A few weeks ago, Neil and I were planning to go to the Ocean City Airport’s fall airplane show which, as Air Force veterans, we enjoy very much. But instead, a friend and her mother stopped by unexpectedly and stayed a bit to chat. Honestly, I enjoyed the warmth of that fellowship much more than I ever would have liked looking at the airplanes. I felt so very blessed by their visit.
On two different days while we were walking on the boardwalk we ran into friends and spent time with each couple. One couple we hadn’t seen for at least a year. We really cannot catch up on an entire year in one visit, but it was a blessing to see them after such a long time and more so because they winter in Florida and will be leaving soon.
You might think that these meetings are by coincidence, but they are not. God plans my days and I diligently try to follow His plans. Each of these three meetings of fellow Christians warmed me to my core. I realized I have been needing fellowship dearly. Sometimes I just need the smile and a hug from a fellow Christian to elevate my day from nice to fantastic.
The fellowship of brothers and sisters in Christ and my quite talks with God keep my focus in the right direction – on God. I cannot adequately express the joy I have in my heart of knowing Jesus to someone who does not know Him, but with friends that know the Lord we share a sweet fellowship of living out that joy.
Honestly, I have no idea how people get through life when they don’t know Jesus. I was chatting with a woman the other day who I enjoy very much but she was angry with a person that bothered her 45 years ago and who she hasn’t seen for at least 35 years. Even if the memory only comes up once a year that is too many times that she has been visibly upset about this person. What a huge waste of precious time to be angry for 45 years when the whole matter could be forgiven once and for all.
That is one of the major differences I notice between Christians and non-believers. Non-believers are missing the sweet peace of knowing Jesus and His forgiveness. Christians have been forgiven and we forgive others. The Bible tells us, “We love because He first loved us. If anyone says, ‘I love God,’ but hates his brother, he is a liar. For anyone who does not love his brother, whom he has seen, cannot love God, whom he has not seen. And we have this commandment from Him: Whoever loves God must love his brother as well.” I John 4:19.
Knowing Christ as our Savior gives us the peace that surpasses all understanding. (Philippians 4:7) It is a blessing to rest in that peace and it is shared by our brothers and sisters in Christ.
This is why fellowship with believers is so sweet. We can speak freely and know that if we unintentionally say something that upset a fellow Christian, they will forgive us for our insensitivity or lack of understanding. They will not hold that thoughtless moment against us for years to come. What a peace-filled blessing that is for me because I have, on occasion, put my foot deeply inside my mouth.
I love my brothers and sisters in Christ because they love freely, they care deeply, they forgive easily, and they will pray for me even when I err. That is the family of God, and I am so happy to be a part of this wonderful family. New family members are sincerely welcomed. If you want to be a part of this loving family and meet Jesus all you have to do is ask Him.
ED. NOTE: Amy Patsch writes from Ocean City. Email her at writerGoodGod@gmail.com
