"Circle"

The circle every morning,

Men with whom I sit,

Talking ‘bout the day to come,

And how we all stay fit.

To serve and live for Jesus,

And we always pray,

That we will be found faithful,

And let Him lead all day.

I remember other circles,

That meant a lot to me,

Sitting round the table,

With friends or family.

Eating, laughing, talking,

Opening the heart,

Sharing love together,

Missing when apart.

Sometimes the circle’s honest,

Someone shares their sin,

One time with some cowboys,

Surprised by that back then.

Sometimes when a loved one,

Crossed over and is gone,

Holding hands and praying,

The Spirit keeps us strong.

With tragedy and triumph,

Sometimes with broken hearts,

The circle gives us healing,

Picks up the broken parts.

And with a campfire glowing,

Out somewhere off the grid,

The circle in their camp chairs,

And thoughts come out, long hid.

I think of Hebrew children,

The circle in the fire,

Untouched and not burning,

The Lord was their desire.

I remember that strong circle,

Peter, James and John,

The glue for them was Jesus,

I’m sure their whole life long.

And Jesus gave the promise,

A circle two or three,

With us He will gather,

With us He’s sure to be.

So don’t ignore your circle,

Stay connected there,

The cell of Christ’s own body,

The Spirit’s life we share.

“For where two or three are gathered together in My name, I am there in the midst of them…” (Mt. 18:20, NLT)

It’s been called the basic cell of the body of Christ, the small group of two or three. That circle of friends, if forged by the Spirit, becomes a spiritually bonded relationship unit of support and accountability. We get to know each other, bear each other’s burdens, and speak the truth in love so we can grow. People need it, but are sometimes afraid to go there because they’ve been disappointed by former relationships. But when it’s led by the Lord, the circle becomes the safe haven people long to experience. Jesus had a circle of twelve and a circle of three. It was how He made disciples, and then commissioned His followers to do the same. It’s in the circle that this can happen, because life is share in community with others. Find it, and you’ll be glad. Share it and you’ll be blessed.

Lord, help us to find and appreciate our spiritual circle, in Jesus’ name.

Art by Don Weller, donweller.com. Used by permission. Thanks, Don, and God bless you.