Sweet Communion

Theme: Breaking Bread in Nicaragua

Read: “Pure and genuine religion in the sight of God the Father means caring for orphans and widows in their distress and refusing to let the world corrupt you.” James 1:27 (NLT)

Reflect: I've been both affluent and I've been jobless and poor. While I have learned to be content in whatever situation I am in, I've never been destitute to the point that there was no hope for the future.

My youngest son and I just returned from spending time with widows and orphans in Nicaragua. This is a communist country where $80 a month is a typical wage for a family of five, which sounds to me like a hopeless situation. I thought we would go and bless these people, but instead we were the ones who were blessed. While we didn't have the elements of bread and wine shared this weekend, we were able to spend time sharing simple meals of rice and beans and clean water. 

At the end of our trip, they encircled us and prayed for us, shedding heart-felt tears. Such a sweet communion we enjoyed with them; one we will treasure the rest of our lives. We didn't need to know or speak much Spanish to enjoy the unity we experienced in our weeks spent there. The community we enjoyed in Christ broke through any language barrier, country boundary, or economic wall I may have thought existed.

React: Esperanza or hope is one of the benefits we have in Christ. Celebrating the hope we have in him as we break the bread and drink the wine reminds us we are united in his love.