The phrase that grabbed my attention in today's lessons comes from the epistle to the Thessalonians. What encourages you in your walk with the Beloved? One of the things that inspires my heart is hearing folks share their stories of their encounters with the Holy One, how they see God working in their lives day by day. A few years ago, I was in a church that had a "Faith Sharing" group that met once a month. Each participant took a turn sharing his or her experience of the Divine. The others had the opportunity to relate or comment as appropriate. It was a rich time of coming to know each other on a deep level, coming to recognize the uniqueness of each of our journeys, and coming to know that, with God, there is always more. It was an encouragement for my journey.

When I worked for the government, I participated in a weekly lunchtime prayer group. One of the women and I became what you might call soul-sisters. We had nothing in common on a surface level; our jobs were different; our friends were different; our churches were different; yet our hearts encouraged each other. Whenever we each encountered God in a powerful way, it was the other we searched out to share the experience, knowing she would be able to relate and be encouraged.

More recently in these days of connecting with others on Zoom, I have had the opportunity with a couple of groups to share lectio divina, where we take time to read and meditate upon a biblical passage, with my paying attention to what God has to say with my name on it. Afterwards as others share their experience, it is a delight to see how God is working in each one and to be encouraged by the differences and similarities. Recently, one man shared an encounter that opened my heart in a new way--what a blessing!

May each of you have the opportunity and the courage to share your encounters with the Beloved. You'll be blessed, and so will those who have ears to hear.