Do you remember that song?

The thigh-bone’s connected to the hip-bone…

Since my confession to living a solitary life in a pit of quick-sand, I’ve had numerous messages and texts from others in the same sandy boat, in addition to the ones who left comments to the post. I was as surprised at who related to my situation, as they were that I was in it! Most all of them felt distanced from God in their isolation, just like me, and that got me thinking. Why should my relationship with God be so affected by my pulling back from other people?

I launched a little search for an answer. Here’s the first place I landed:

In this way we are like the various parts of a human body. Each part gets its meaning from the body as a whole, not the other way around. The body we’re talking about is Christ’s body of chosen people. Each of us finds our meaning and function as a part of his body. But as a chopped-off finger or cut-off toe we wouldn’t amount to much, would we?   Romans 12:4 MSG

I’ve heard people say that they didn’t need anyone. It was best if it was just them and Jesus. Period. Less drama. Less heart ache. And, really? It DOES seem like Jesus should be all we need.

PLEASE HEAR ME.

As far as our salvation is concerned, Jesus IS all we need. In fact, He’s our only hope.

But that’s not what I’m talking about.

According to our scripture, we are all parts of Christ’s body, with different functions. I’m an arm. You’re a foot. Christ is the head. I’m not aware of many arm-head or foot-head people who are thriving as individuals. It’s the people whose different parts are all communicating and contributing to the body as a whole, who are in proper sync with their head. THOSE are the thriving individuals.

Sometimes, for whatever reason, God will pull you out of community for a time to minister to your heart or help you heal from an illness or trauma. But, just like the hospital doctor who, even within minutes of waking from anesthesia, will have your injured part up and working together with the rest of your body, God nudges us back out to start working together with HIS body. If we don’t cooperate, and stay separate for too long, we are not there to fulfill our purpose and contribute.

I’m suggesting this:

The body communicates effectively with the head, only when all the parts are working together and gaining from each other what they were specifically made to contribute. By the same token, without real relationship with others, we struggle to stay in sync with God.

Children have never been taught that the thigh-bone is connected solely to the Head-bone, and for good reason. God gave each part something unique to the benefit of every other part. Our connection to each other matters, not just for our own well-being, but it matters to our connection with the Head.

Something to think about, yes?

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Join me in climbing out of the sand and onto the road…beginning April 12th, follow along on the Great Girlfriend Adventure!