Only let your manner of life be worthy of the gospel of Christ, so that whether I come and see you or am absent, I may hear of you that you are standing firm in one spirit, with one mind striving side by side for the faith of the gospel…” (Phil. 1:27).
I love the fact that we can be virtually side by side in His service though some of us are separated by thousands of miles, by oceans and even by governments that are hostile to Christianity. We are holding hands in faith. We are reading the same book and we are protected by the same Father. We are truly closely knit in spirit. We are “striving for the faith side by side.”
I want to tell you about Torrey. Torrey is one of the people we began praying for on September 13th when we had our “Sweet Hour of Prayer” time together as we kicked off our FAQs of Life Weekend at West Huntsville (click here to watch our sessions.) Because one sweet Christian girl, Kimberly, was brave and “real” enough to tell us that Torrey needed the gospel, events occurred that brought about his baptism last Sunday afternoon. It was a time of sweet emotion for me, as we stood there singing “No Turning Back” and as I watched Torrey put his shoes on feet that would never again walk in the ways of the world. I hugged Torrey and then my heart rejoiced again when Glenn told me that, following his baptism, Torrey asked, “Now, can we get together again next Wednesday night to study?” I love the fact that he still wants to know and grow. For those who have been praying, thank-you for being part of the “side by side” process that reached Torrey for the Lord!
I hope I can make “Side by Side” a regular blog feature…about the encouraging things that come from our times together, and from our Digging Deep group. I know I will have more encouraging things from sisters than I can possibly list here, but I want to remind us, on occasion, that women in prayer and study are women who change lives and affect eternity. President Obama is not positively affecting eternity. Dr. Oz is not reaching beyond the grave. The highest paid entertainers and inventors are almost all limited by the span of life. But we–simple women who are dedicated to the “faith of the gospel”— can transcend the bounds of time and mortality to influence destinies even beyond life on this planet. It’s profoundly humbling because we are so limited alone and yet so able with our Father who spoke the universe into existence. May we remember every day the large scope of the mission and the large hope of remission. We are “side by side,” but the important thing is that we are on HIS side, because He’s already claimed the victory.
