One in Heart and Mind

Written by Leah Gillen

Within moments, I was completely surrounded by the body of Christ. Having just slumped to the floor following the news that had just been delivered to me of my husband’s tragic death, I felt the hands of treasured friends and my church family comforting me in the only ways they knew how in the moment. The rest of that evening was much of a blur for me, but I remember people being everywhere – preparing food, greeting visitors, helping me with decision making.

As the days went on, the support continued. If the house needed cleaning, someone took care of that. If my daughter and I needed to eat, people made sure we were fed. When a bank deposit had to be made, a friend drove it to the bank. Basic supplies – toilet paper, napkins, and cleaning supplies – were abundantly brought in. Cards and flowers were in continuous supply. Ladies would spend the night at my house to keep me from being alone at night.

The days turned into weeks and then months. I never saw the body of Christ respond to need as I have since that dreaded day – May 4, 2011. While my husband was present with the Lord in Heaven, my daughter and I were left behind to unfortunately pick up the pieces of our newly fragmented life. Thankfully, we didn’t have to do it alone, as so many often have to do.

Recently I re-read the following passage from the book of Acts:

All the believers were one in heart and mind. No one claimed that any of their possessions was their own, but they shared everything they had. With great power the apostles continued to testify to the resurrection of the Lord Jesus. And God’s grace was so powerfully at work in them all that there were no needy persons among them. For from time to time those who owned land or houses sold them, brought the money from the sales and put it at the apostles’ feet, and it was distributed to anyone who had need. ~Acts 4:32-35

That’s how it’s supposed to be friends! Whether it’s following the death of a loved one, job loss, illness, financial distress, loneliness, a move across the country, following a cancer diagnosis, during a difficult pregnancy, in preparation for a mission trip, after a newborn comes home or simply “just because”…believers are called to behave in “one heart and mind”.

We see evidence of this more often in third-world countries today…villages and communities taking care of each other even within their scarcity. Sadly, with the fast-paced lifestyle in which many of us live in the United States, we don’t stop long enough to get out of our own little world to care for the hurting around us. All of us have something to offer.

We may be financially poor, but we have arms that can offer a hug to a lonely widow or widower.

Our time might be swallowed up with meetings, but we can call in a pizza for delivery to the home of the stressed out single-mom down the street.

Maybe we have been abundantly blessed with a vacation home that we can offer to the family that has just been through a year of chemotherapy for one of their loved ones.

Perhaps someone just needs a listening ear, and we can make a weekly phone call to share our love and concern.

For me, cards and flowers are my “love language” and tend to put a smile on my face – how many others would be cheered up by such a simple act of love?

The list is endless…just ask God to show you the people He wants you to minister to today or this week or this year. He’s created us to be one in heart and mind. As soon as we open our eyes to the needs around us and act in response to those needs, we will be the ones most blessed indeed!