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 Community Power
by Eric Schlange, 6/1/04
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The last several weeks have been a whirlwind for my family. First, we learned that Monica (my wife) was pregnant… a surprise for sure! In the middle of adjusting our plans and goals to account for this unforeseen little blessing, another curve was thrown into our lives. Just two days after the doctor confirmed our pregnancy via ultrasound, we found ourselves in the emergency room with Monica experiencing intense abdominal pain.
Within three hours of our arrival there Monica was waking up from emergency surgery which had been performed to stop the internal bleeding caused by an ectopic pregnancy. (A note for those who don’t know: an ectopic pregnancy occurs when the fertilized egg implants in one of the fallopian tubes instead of the uterus. The embryo then proceeds to grow rapidly like it normally does, until the tube bursts. Internal bleeding then occurs, and in our case was so bad that the doctor said Monica would have bled to death if we had waited another hour or so).
But the purpose of this story isn’t to tell you about our exciting hospital visit… the purpose is to testify about the power of Christian community in our lives.
It began when I was able to place a phone call from the emergency room notifying my parents and Monica’s to let them know about the situation. Almost immediately we had many people praying for us… my parents had friends and family visiting at the time and immediately stopped to pray… Monica’s parents spread the word locally and prayed in between phone calls. Monica would later tell me that this was the first time in her life that she had ever truly felt the prayers of the saints on her behalf as she lay there preparing for surgery. We both had a real sense of peace, and a knowledge that God was in control. This isn’t a normal human reaction, of course—but it was made possible through the prayers of God’s people!
Anyone who has recovered from a major surgery can tell you that recovery can be a huge challenge, both for the patient and those caring for the patient. In our case, I had to continue to run my business while caring for our ten month old baby and my wife… all in a house in the midst of a remodel. It was not a pretty sight. But again, our community of friends and relatives saved the day as people (especially Monica’s mother and sister) came to the house to watch Bella, clean the place up, and care for Monica while I was at work. At night we ate like kings from meals delivered to our home from various folks (and let me tell you, our friends make great food!). On top of this, it appeared that we had started our own flower nursery in our living room, as people sent beautiful plants with heartfelt notes. And of course, we had the constant prayer support of so many people… friends and family in Illinois, Oregon, Washington, and even the Persian Gulf, my father’s church in Susanville, CA, and our local friends.
Having studied the book of Job, I’ve learned that trying to explain the reasons for trials in our lives from a human standpoint doesn’t always work. Our pea-brains often can’t fathom why God allows things to happen. I’m convinced, though, that one reason God allowed Monica and I to go through this was to let us experience first hand the power of Christian community. Sure, we can talk about how great it is, but until you experience it, you just don’t get it. We see now that when people become “Jesus with skin on,” lives are changed. And the best part is, this is what we (as Christians) are all called to do! We’re commanded to love others like we love ourselves—that is the essence of community.
So I would encourage you to take this message to heart—that living in community really is a vital part of the Christian walk. Your selfless acts do make a huge difference in people’s lives… and they glorify God as well. Thanks again to all of you who “did what Jesus would do” in our lives—you’re a huge blessing to us.
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