lives shared

"Blessed be the tie that binds
Our hearts in Christian love;
The fellowship of kindred minds
Is like that to that above. "

This song came to my mind today.  It is from the play "Our Town" by Thornton Wilder.  I was in this play in high school and it is a beautiful song.  The reason I thought of it was that the lyrics seemed so appropriate for what I was experiencing.

Today was the last day of the women's Bible study and therefore, a brunch.  A time of eating, visiting and reflecting on the past year's lessons and prayers.   They even have a little drawing with prizes to make it fun.  It suddenly dawned on me, as I sat there looking around, surrounded by all these women sharing, laughing, loving each other.  It struck me how very many lives were represented in that room.  Not just the women themselves, but their families; their children, parents, all those who came before them and all those who would come after. 
This was a room filled with the pain of tragedies suffered, victories enjoyed, blessings bestowed.  These women of faith have endured and will endure even while glorifying the one true God whose love binds us all together. 

A celebration of Life. 

"I will give you all my worship,
I will give you all my praise."

It almost ovewhelmed me to feel how truly grateful and priviledged I am to be a part of such a community.  The common bond that women share of lives, loves and loss.  How vital these bonds and friendships are to our sanity.
The next time you are in a room of people, be it at church, the store, school, any event, look around and remember that God loves every single one of them.  Know that within them all lies strength and endurance.  No matter who they are, God's love and hope resides in each of them.  Our lives are bound to each other in this life experience.  We need never feel alone.  We have each other.