Do you ever think about all the comfortable things you have in your life? Often we take things for granted like the clean air we breathe, shelter from the elements, food that gives nourishment, clean water to drink and bathe in…it can be an endless list of things we receive and use without thought or thanksgiving. I want to go a step further and recognize another kind of comfort I have in my life, my connection to a unique group of women, I’m honored to call them my friends. This special group of women have been my “comfort” during times of sorrows and my “support” in times of exceeding joys. This specific group of women call themselves, “Esther’s Circle” several of the women have known one another for years, some only a few and some they have just met. The love of sisters in Christ is their unbreakable bond, their foundation. I am so very thankful to be a part of Esther’s Circle and although our bond to one another is metaphorically a circle, our love and compassion for all has no boundary. I had the opportunity to spend time with Esther’s Circle yesterday, we had taken a few months sabbatical to attend another function sponsored at our church. It was such a wonderful feeling to be together once again, it was similar to attending a reunion of relatives and catching up with all the happenings in one another’s lives. Ironically, we are in the process of reading a book by Bob Goff called “Love Does.” We started reading the book in August 2013, we are moving rather slowly but that’s ok. We typically read 2 chapters a month and then spend time discussing the chapters based upon book study questions. I had the opportunity to lead the discussion last night and to share suggested scriptures for the specific chapters. The book is a collection of short stories from Bob’s life although some stories seem unbelievable, truth be told we all have a story or two about ourselves that might seem unbelievable too. His stories show grace, acceptance, endurance, perseverance, love, forgiveness, and joy to mention a few but he also shares his family and faith with the reader. Many of us in Esther’s Circle have joked about the believability of a few of his stories but as I left our meeting last night I was suddenly struck with a profound sensation that the message Mr. Goff is sharing with his readers is exactly what this group of extraordinary women do on a daily basis, share love with everyone they encounter…Love Does is not merely words in a book but also the actions of a group of women loved by God who share God’s love and I am so very blessed to be a part of it.
~Blessings and Peace~
HOPE SEEKER 