In Trinidad & Tobago, every year a competition is held for the best Calypso singer. The winner is called the Monarch. The 2013 Calypso Monarch, Pink Panther sang as one of his winning songs “Travel Woes.” In it he described seeing many “ships” but not one was the “Partnership.” It was obviously a clever play on words describing our current political scene but I also do not recall hearing Pink Panther mention seeing the “Fellowship.” That’s a shame for as we shall see this week, fellowship is so critical to us in our lives.
The very root of the word fellowship means to hold something in common. For us that means each other, that we have community with each other. We can have many different communities, for example, of professions, our neighbourhoods, our church and our friends. God has made us fellowship or community people, that is, we can’t live without it. A man thought he heard a woman say “There’s no mayonnaise in Ireland”. What she really said was “No man is an island”. So true. No one lives or dies only to themselves. We all need relationships. John Ortberg reminds us that no one succeeded at relationships and yet had a bad life.
Today think about the fellowship you share with others. Think about the close ones, your family, friends, church. Thank God for them, appreciate them (value them highly) and tell them thank you for being a friend.
Tomorrow we will see where fellowship really begins.
March 31, 2014 at 9:25 am
Every where I live, the first thing I do is to look for a church with a good women’s fellowship group. To me, it is very important to have such a group that I can belong, sharing the same values and faith. Here in T&T I attend the bible study/fellowship group at Karen Christie’s place. After each meeting I feel like a battery fully charged and ready to face again a new week full of challenges. Indeed, having a group of ladies where you can really be yourself, having fellowship, praying together and sometimes even crying or laughing together. This is my group where I truly respect each one’s uniqueness , and really knowing each other well is a wonderful experience – a gift from the Lord. I am involved in many social and diplomatic groups here in Trinidad but my favorite group is my Thursday group, I consider it very special. My friends in this group have encouraged me, scolded me if necessary, prayed for me, accepted me with my flaws, and of course they have tremendous love for the Lord Jesus Christ that makes our bonding strong. We all get our strength from the Lord Jesus Christ and through HIS grace we can uplift one another especially when we are in our low moments in our journey to this life. “As iron sharpens iron, so one person sharpens another.” Proverbs 27:17
March 31, 2014 at 4:59 pm
Hi Aurora, that’s awesome!
March 31, 2014 at 7:15 pm
There are times when I would call my mother’s house on any Sunday afternoon in T&T and hear “we’re just about to have Tea”. Perhaps inspired by this, from time to time (not frequently enough) I’ve taken the opportunity to have some friends to Tea. Interestingly, it’s not always the same ladies and they do not always know each other, and are of different backgrounds and career paths. But we’re related by blood (Jesus’) and so have a common link. For some it’s a time out from the children, or a get-out-of-the-house-thank-goodness afternoon or a catch-up after a long period of too busy lives going in different directions. And it’s always refreshing, always fun – Fellowship!!
Not everyone is game to go Stand Up Paddleboarding……