Life Groups

Our church home in Fort Worth was Southlake Church (formerly Southlake Church Of Christ). Like many churches do these days, we had "Life Groups" on Sunday nights. Call them what you may... life groups, small groups, cell families, BKU's ... The concept is basically that a small group of families meet in homes on Sunday nights for a devotional, or meal, or social time, or all three in place of a Sunday evening services.

The three churches that Rob and I have attended in our 8 years of marriage have had these groups. There are positives and negatives to the Life Group system. I personally have made arguments on both sides at times. Some years it goes way better than others. But our 1999/2000 group was pretty special!

We were co-leading with our good friends David & Diana Box. David and Rob met when we moved to Fort Worth in 1996 because they both managed Norwest Financial branches. They immediately hit it off and became friends. David grew up with a non-denominational church background. His wife Diana grew up Catholic. Rob (who had himself just been baptized 7 months earlier, not me the life long Church of Christ-er) asked the Boxes to go to church with us. They did.

We had a great Sunday School class for Young Families. There were 40 or so couples and 4/5's of them (including me) were pregnant. Diana was also expecting so they just fit right in. One of my most special memories ever is that of the chilly March Sunday morning when David and Diana (8 months pregnant) were both baptized. Diana even went to class and out-to-eat with her hair wet and little make-up...did I mention she was 8 months pregnant?! Brave, beautiful and baptized all in the same morning! AMAZING! But I stray...Back to our group.

There were 6 families in our group: the Boxes, Hensleys, Jenkins, Lees, Youngs and us. All six families had children the same age (within months). Our kid's baby books are filled with pictures of our times together. Five of us only had one child. Four of us did not have any family near by. Although we were all very close, the four families that did not have any family in the area, became really close. We adopted each other as extended family... Like a church should.

We relied on each other, celebrated together, went out together. We hosted showers together, visited each other in the hospital for births and miscarriages, took meals to one another, drove each other to the airport, to the mechanic, and to the mall. We helped each other build fences, pick paint colors and floor bathrooms. We stayed with each other when spouses were gone, when air conditioners went out or when we were moving. Yes, eventually the four families that did not have extended family near by, all moved to live near extended family. I guess that says something about our groups priorities! Family is so important.

But when we moved, our "Fort Worth Friends"(none of who still live in Ft Worth) vowed to stay in touch, and for the most part, we have. Each family has visited one another separately at some point. Heidi Hensley came back from Houston when I had Rhett to host my baby shower. The Boxes and Hensleys live on opposite sides of Houston but still get together. Susan Jenkins became my life support during my pregnancy with Rhett and the following three months of trying to sell the house when Rob was in Waco. The Jenkins made it to all our kids birthday parties until they moved to Arkansas a year ago. Rob and I were in Houston and visited the Boxes in the hospital just hours after the birth of their third...Just like we did with their other babies. Two summers ago all four families got together at the Boxes house for two nights. The Hensleys and Jenkins spent MLK day with us this year.

Just this week, all the Mommies and kids were here at our house. Next year we are talking about meeting at a hotel in our old stomping grounds of Fort Worth. I have no doubt that our commitment to our friendship was born out of our commitment to our church and our God. Each relationship is different but no less special. I look forward to many more "Fort Worth Friends" reunions, but right now I must get to cleaning up from this last one!;-}

Thank you Father for my Fort Worth Friends! Thank you for each families commitment to you and to their new church homes. Thank you for giving us to each other in our times of need. Thank you for allowing us to celebrate together in our times of joy. When you gave us this special life group, we had no idea we would be a group for life...but somehow I think that you did! Thank you.

OH YES, I don't want to forget to thank you for my new little group of blog friends too! May you bless us all as a group of individuals committed to living for you! AMEN!