the road trip::tales of ambassadizing the nation

At one point, 10 or 15 of them gathered for a dinner (and then a half marathon the next day... they are healthy now, after all). These are people from various seasons who have built relationships with each other over their common interests and experiences. At the end of the meal one of their trainers came out and told them how proud she was of them, and how glad she was they were in community with each other, holding each other accountable, pushing each other.

Then Bob (another trainer) drops in on Erik, a previous winner who lost over 200 pounds... and gained 195 back. Erik says he was worried about seeing and talking to Bob because he didn't want him to be disappointed or angry. And Bob tells Erik it's okay, and that they are going to come up with a plan of action to get the weight back off.

All I could think as I was watching was ... ohmygosh this is discipleship. These people have learned that the way that they can best achieve their goals, the way they can grow and learn and change the fastest, the way that they can stay on track is in community with other people. With their peers, and with their trainers.

Why do we think it is any different with our spiritual lives? The best way to achieve our goals, to grow, to learn, to change, to stay on track is in community. With our peers, and with our trainers... our disciplers.

Sometimes it amazes me when I see such biblical concepts played out in the world...