The Provision of Community

As I (Theresa) was reading the Christmas story this year I was struck by something that has never jumped out to me before. When God calls His people to hard things, He provides community for them to help carry the burden and weight that comes with calling. They are not sent without support and they do not go alone. 

In Luke 1, we hear about how the angel comes to Mary and announces that she will conceive and give birth to Jesus. Just after this shocking news, the next piece of news shared is this:

"Even Elizabeth your relative is going to have a child in her old age, and she who was said to be unable to conceive is in her sixth month..." Luke 1:36

We are then told that Mary "got ready and hurried" to go and visit Elizabeth.

What goes through my mind when I read this is that Mary was eager to see another miracle from God in action (it seems that would make the miracle happening in her seem even more real!) and out of hopes that someone she knows and loves would believe what was happening to her was real and as the angel said it would be. 

God provided community at a time when Mary desperately needed community. He provided someone to help carry the load and burden that comes with being called by God for an imaginably difficult task. 

What I absolutely love about this story is her sweet older cousin's response to her after Mary simply showed up (from what we know, she hasn't said a word yet):

"In a loud voice she (Elizabeth) exclaimed: 'Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the child you will bear! But why am I so favored that the mother of my Lord should come to me? As soon as the sound of your greeting reached my ears, the baby in my womb leaped for job. Blessed is she who has believed that the Lord would fulfill his promises to her!'" Luke 1:42-43

I imagine that Mary was not ready for her news to be announced "in a loud voice".  I wonder if she was still in the "letting it sink in" stage as I imagine I would be. So to be greeted in such a loud and bold way might have thrown Mary off at first. I imagine it would have for me. However, what Elizabeth says to her must have been balm to Mary's soul. Elizabeth saw Mary's bravery. She called out her favor with God. She spoke to the very things that Mary likely was trembling about inside. "You are blessed among women. You have believed God would fulfill His promises". It's absolutely beautiful. God used Elizabeth to speak with boldness and confidence in a way I imagine built up Mary's faith and allowed her to move forward with the same boldness and confidence. 

God provides community when he calls us to hard things. He does not send us alone. He cares deeply about people building up people because it is how fears are called out and confidence is then walked out. 

As I reflect on our calling to return to Africa, I am struck yet again by how God does not call us to go alone. Our community has been crucial to us in our discernment process while trying to figure out if this was really what God was calling us to. We have received countless prayers and my friends (God bless them!) have heard me cry countless times as I've wrestled with the difficulty of what going back to Africa means. 

At the same time, the primary way missionaries are sent is through community- through raising funds from people around them to be able to walk out the calling God has led them to. Just as God providing Mary with Elizabeth was not a flippant or meaningless thing, I also believe that God having missionaries raise support and depend on others for financial support is not flippant either. It serves a great purpose. Missionaries are not sent alone. The people who partner with them- through prayers, encouragement and finances are the support system that upholds them through the difficulty of life in the mission field. 

As we look to return to Africa, we are in the process of building that community around us. We are looking for people to partner with us financially as we seek to return this July. Would you consider partnering with us on a monthly or annual basis? To give online, you can click here. Also feel free to e-mail us to set up a time to talk more if you want more information (treed@serge.org). 

Please join us in praying that we would continue to trust that when God calls His people, He also provides support systems. We know He does not send us alone! 

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