Back to Life

Submitted by Jenny…I hurt by back a couple weeks ago and wasn’t able to do much.
Initially, it was a little embarrassing to answer the question at the
doctor’s appointment about whether i experienced any trauma to my
back…because the only real “trauma” I could cite was carrying my 9
month old son, who is a bit on the large side. (Abby has ceased
calling her “little brother” and now calls him her “big brother.”)

But in the last 2 weeks, have just really experienced a lot of love
and care from people and made up a list a few days ago…
My friends, many w/ kids of their own came and made dinner, watched my
kids, just kept me company, hang out and for pretty much everyday
checking in to see how i was doing if i needed anything, opening their
homes to me and the kids when brothers had the getaway, taking me to
doctors and acupuncture appointments. Felt very cared for by my fellow
staff in Koinonia –sisters who came to watch my kids on friday night,
driving all the way back from berkeley on a moment’s notice, and the
cheerfulness w/ which they did it, even staying over night to be w/
Nico if he woke up.  Many of the younger sisters coming over and
hanging out on a free saturday to help me w/ the kids, just hang out,
cook a big pot of soup for me and even give my big son a much-needed
bath. One of the single bros apartment even took Nico for a night and
got a crash course in babysitting since Kelly smn wanted some strong
bros to watch him to spare the sisters’ backs. Was also thankful for
even the sophomore sisters who came to sleepover at my place while
Kevan was gone just to keep me company and bring some laughter and
they got to see a slice of what the body of christ in action looks
like as they saw how much love I received.  Thankful that we live so
close to people; neighbors at the Central “Hood”, were regularly
checking in, just coming by asking if we needed anything from Costco
or Safeway, helping to carry in the kids when i got home, many of the
couples at central making us dinner to relieve kevan who had 2 kids,
Glive to write and our loads of laundry to do. While I was stuck in
bed for a few days, people would open up my lockbox and leave food in
the fridge, flowers, or some eastern medicine balm for my back
downstairs.

Thankful very much for my leaders, for kelly smn and suzanne even
amidst all the things they have to think about, taking time to think
about and even anticipate different needs, finding people to watch my
kids so i could rest, bring food, make sure i got the messages to
listen to, sending books to read to encourage me and keep my spirits
up, modeling again for me what it means to love one person.

I’m thankful that through the ups and downs of life, and as
undeserving of this kind of love that I am, that somehow I am a part
of the this body and was a reminded that church is not about where you
meet on Sundays or just talk about love or even a place where we just
work together, but about relationships and real life together.  I got
to experience once again what it means in 1 Corinthians 12 that when
one part suffers all the others suffer w/ it and in Romans that  “each
member belongs to all the others.”