Good Food and Good Company

Yesterday I was just having a day. It wasn't a bad day, but it wasn't a particularly great one either. I woke up tired and felt pretty lethargic most of the day. I felt like I was hitting the proverbial wall. Since we have a team here right now that wasn't good. And, unfortunately, they noticed. I had a couple of the team members ask if I was feeling alright. I was fine, but I was spent. Earlier in the day I was trying to learn a couple new worship songs for evening devotions and I just couldn't get them right. I couldn't focus. And it really frustrated me. In hindsight I realize I was no longer practicing as a means of worshiping the Lord, but because it was part of my job. I felt like I had given everything I had and for some reason I wasn't getting recharged. Honestly, when it came time to head over for dinner and Family Time I was wishing I was heading for bed instead.
That is, until we had dinner. Oh my word, never in my life have I so vividly experienced the power good food and good company can have on one's attitude and outlook. The team that is here right now is from Mississippi. One of the women, in addition to serving us here at Beautiful Gate, is serving the team as the chef. And last night she made gumbo. To put it mildly, it was one of the best things I have ever put in my mouth. The food I've eaten with this team alone could turn me southern. More than that, though, this team is the epitome of "southern hospitality." They came to BG with a heart and a vision for serving the kids, as most teams do, but once here, they caught an even bigger vision. While they love playing with the kids, I've witnessed them blessing our house mothers with personal prayers and shoulder massages. They've taken the time to pour into our volunteers because they see how exhausted many of us are. They have blessed us with the gift of new swing sets on our playground, but one team member in particular went beyond that and spent time praying over the swings and literally writing Scripture into the wet concrete. They realize that coming to Lesotho, coming to Beautiful Gate isn't about getting a pat on the back. It's not about adding new stamps in their passports. In the end, it's not even about serving an orphan, a widow, or a tired missionary. They're here to serve God, to bring Him glory through their actions, to shed light on who He is and point others toward Him. They just get it.
As I was eating that delicious gumbo and sharing in fellowship with the team my spirit was rejuvenated. I physically felt more alert, more alive than I had just moments before. I felt more in tune with my Abba because my brothers and sisters were pointing me back to Him simply by serving a meal and sharing their hearts. That is what fellowship is all about. There doesn't have to be an elaborate planned out event with specific goals outlined and professional speakers for your spirit to be refreshed and grown. God made humans (plural) for a reason. He made us to be in community with Himself and with one another. After last night, my spirit is hungry and yearning for more. More time spent with my Papa. More time spent with my brothers and sisters. More time sharing our hearts and how we've seen God working, but also more time telling jokes and stories. All in all, I long for more time doing life with people who are seeking God together and encouraging one another along the way.