Gray Days

“Let us not give up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but let us encourage one another and all the more as you see the Day approaching.”
Hebrews 10:25 (NIV)

Have you ever had a gray day? How about a gray week? You know, when the skies aren’t black, but they are simply drearily gray. That’s the kind of week I just had. The clouds rolled in on Monday morning. Not literal gray clouds. I’m talking about the clouds that roll into your heart and mind, sinking deep into your spirit. News came that the long reaching fingers of the sinking economy had alas grasped hold of the company my husband works for. His position was safe, but 49 others were not, including two of his employees. We were heart broken as we sat together with tears and prayed.

That morning seemed to set the tone for the week ahead. My husband had to deal with the emotional strain of walking through the details of Monday’s news. My girlfriend’s baby was rushed to the ER. Another friend lost his job. Each day had its own various shade of gray, but each was gray none the less. By Saturday we just needed to get out of the house. We needed some sunshine. Unfortunately the weather had decided to join in and provide a backdrop of dreary, drizzly rain.

Have you ever faced a Sunday after a week like this and wished that you could just stay in bed? Its times like these I find myself tempted to isolate myself and take a day off. It’s a good thing we’re involved in our church. It forces us to get up and go, even when we don’t feel like it. So this week, although we wanted to stay in our cozy, warm bed and hide, we got up and went to church. I am so glad we did. We went to worship together with our “family”. Just the thought of it brings a feeling of comfort to my heart. After services, we had the joy of spending the afternoon in our home with a group of friends talking about the Lord, sharing our lives and praying together. What a blessing.

Somewhere in the midst of that day, our gray skies began to clear and our dispostion changed. The situations and circumstances in our lives were the same, but they no longer consumed us. We knew it was the day of worship together with others that made a difference.

The next time you wake up on a Sunday morning feeling discouraged with the temptation to stay isolated, let me encourage you not to give in to that temptation. The author of Hebrews knew what he was talking about when he said that we should not give up meeting together with the body of Christ. We are here to encourage each other. We need each other. There is something about joining together that lightens the load and brightens our outlook.

Thank you to my “family”. You brightened my day!