In the Family

One essential value that many of us have come to personally cherish in acts2fellowship is loving one another. What never ceases to amaze me is how ready people are to help and care for one another. People find checks in their mailboxes when they are strapped for cash, or Seniors help struggling underclassmen through a particularly hard class. I think such features of community are really rare in our society, and the longer I am here in a2f and at Gracepoint Fellowship Church, the more I treasure this value. To illustrate this value, our staff sister Jackie shares how she was cared for this past week when she got really sick (don’t worry, she is almost 100% now!).

During the past week, I somehow caught a cold and was having a fever for several days. As I detected that first sign of headache and sore throat, I thought to myself, “Oh no! Not again, not now at % ” I was pretty much getting upset with myself for always being so sickly. I mean, come’ on, who gets sick in the summer?!? Especially with the new school year right around the corner, it was probably not the best time to get sick. However, despite my initial dejectedness and my “why me?” complaints, I started to appreciate being sick. Because through my weakness, I experienced God’s love through His people in the most concrete ways. Let me explain a little bit of what I mean by that.

During the past five days, I was showered with love and care. Just to name a few: my roommate A. cooked soup for me while she herself was sick (that is love!), my roommate K. bought fruits especially for the sicky in the house, my roommate L. emailed, called, texted me daily to see how I was doing at work, sister E. bought me cough drops and hot tea so that I would function at work, my peer A. offered to be my bodyguard for one day in case I fainted somewhere, sister G and L offered me rides to work, my leaders constantly checking in on me to see if I was doing better, etc, not to mention all the other phone calls and “how are you feeling’s” from many other Gracepointers. Maybe I have named more than a few, but I was so sincerely touched and overwhelmed by their love for me shown through concrete actions. These sisters just poured out to me without asking for anything in return. Other than my own parents perhaps, who would love me so selflessly and unconditionally? Who am I to deserve this? I would have been so isolated and helpless had I never been found by God and never come into this family of God.

I am so thankful for being sick just to be reminded once again of how privileged and blessed I am to be in this Gracepoint family, and a part of God’s big family. Thinking about the love that I was shown, I know that in the same way I need to love the people that God has placed in my life as Luke 12:48 says, “from everyone who has been given much, much will be demanded”. Also, in view of the new college students coming onto the Berkeley campus, I sincerely hope and pray that one day they will also be able to experience what I have experienced here at Gracepoint, the love of God embodied by His believers.