Divine Connection

I felt so alone.

I poured my heart out to God on the pages of my journal.

Jesus, I desperately need to be connected. We desperately need community and strong relationships, Lord. I’m not sure how to keep going without greater relational connection, support, and stability. Father, You created us for the body. Please, bring divine appointments. Get the right people into our lives.

My family and I were in a time of transition. And although God had clearly orchestrated our steps, many factors made this season incredibly hard. Our need for strong connection had never been so glaring.

Connection. The cry of my heart lingered as I got up from my chair and went on to get ready for the day. Less than an hour later a thought came to me…

I don’t think I ever changed my location on Facebook. Maybe if I update it, I’ll see some local events where I can meet other believers.

I picked up my phone and clicked on Facebook. Sure enough, I hadn’t updated my location since our move. After I quickly fixed that, I checked the event suggestions. My eyes fell on the first event listed.

“Together Mentoring” at The Connection. The Connection.

I was intrigued. My spiritual senses fired up. I read the description and found out that a local ladies’ ministry was offering a six-month mentoring program. The following Saturday was the information meeting. It was hard to deny God’s clear guidance in answer to my prayer.

I attended the mentoring information meeting and signed up for a mentor. I also learned more about The Connection, a thriving women’s ministry of 4 ½ years. (Now 5 years.) I discovered that they offer a variety of ways to connect with other women, including casual coffee chats, Bible studies, conferences, retreats, book clubs, and more.

Connection at The Connection. I love how literally God chose to answer my prayers. I found connection to bless my soul by way of The Connection. I’ve only begun to dip my toes in the water of what this ministry has to offer, and yet I have been tremendously refreshed and blessed.

My mentor was exactly the right person for me. We met regularly and faithfully for six months, and she showered me with encouragement, truth, and wisdom. She was a safe person for me to share openly and vulnerably with. Through God’s Word she reminded me who God is and who I am in Christ. She spoke hope and life to me. Even now that our mentoring session is officially over, she is a source of friendship and blessing.

I have attended several other events through The Connection that were an encouragement as well. What I have seen and consistently experienced is love for the Lord, devotion to God’s Word, dependency in prayer, and a sincere love for others. What a blessing to have a specific place and ministry where women longing for Christ-centered relationships can come.

Connecting authentically, lovingly, and deeply with others is essential.

We need each other. All of us are wired for meaningful connection. Those who lack healthy relationships suffer. Consider babies without sufficient human contact who fail to thrive, and even die. Or prisoners relegated to long periods of solitary confinement who lose touch with reality. These are extreme cases, but they demonstrate that we suffer when we are not adequately connected to others.

We were not meant to do life alone.

Dr Caroline Leaf, a neuroscientist and mental health expert, highlighted this very concept in her book Think, Learn, Succeed: “High levels of social support predict longevity at least as reliably as healthy eating and regular exercise do, while low levels of social support are as damaging as high blood pressure.”

We literally need one another to thrive.

Even God, the perfect Creator, acknowledged this when He had made just one man and stated, “It is not good for man to be alone.” (Genesis 2:18) He remedied the problem of aloneness by creating a companion.

And for those of us who have given our lives to Christ, we are not just individuals walking by faith with Him. We are members of the body of Christ. Just as our physical bodies need all the parts to work together and function properly, so too we need one another.

“Now you are Christ’s body, and individually members of it.” (1 Corinthians 12:27) As members of one body, we each have strengths and weaknesses. We each have things to offer and things to receive from others.

And so, in line with our physical and spiritual design, God calls us to excellence in relationships with other believers.

“Be devoted to one another in brotherly love; give preference to one another in honor; not lagging behind in diligence, fervent in spirit, serving the Lord; rejoicing in hope, persevering in tribulation, devoted to prayer, contributing to the needs of the saints, practicing hospitality. Bless those who persecute you; bless and do not curse. Rejoice with those who rejoice, and weep with those who weep. Be of the same mind toward one another; do not be haughty in mind, but associate with the lowly. Do not be wise in your own estimation.” (Romans 12:10-16)

This call is for every believer. Why? Because we all need this kind of connection and support. If everyone does their part, then we should be receiving in like manner. We should all be giving, and we should all be receiving in relationship.

Do you have meaningful connections? Do you have authentic, transparent, and loving relationships? How can you grow relationally? Pray for God to lead you into the kinds of relationships that He knows you need.

Jesus, please lead me into the right relationships, and show me how to connect in deep and meaningful ways. Help me to bravely let down walls and let others in, experiencing love and acceptance as a result. And help me to invest in the lives of others and love them fervently from the heart. Amen!

Kimberly Vaughn