Tag Archive for: Psalm 133:1

Gathered and Growing Together

,

Psalm 133:1 — How good and pleasant it is when God’s people live together in unity! 

I was thinking about church picnics the other day.

Church picnics were once a big deal.

I mean big, big.

Folding tables covered with homemade food. Kids running everywhere. Somebody stringing up a volleyball net. And at least one person convinced their potato salad was the reason everybody came.

That’s how it was when I was a kid, and honestly, we had the best time.

I got to go to church with my cousins, and the ten of us would disappear on some adventure while the adults talked around the tables.

Through the years, we ate together, laughed together, and watched our own kids become friends.

Lately, it feels like a lot of that has disappeared.

Maybe life got busier.

Maybe our calendars got fuller.

Maybe we just got used to rushing from one thing to the next.

But I realized something.

I don’t actually miss the food.

Trust me, those church ladies could cook.

But what I really miss is what happened around those folding tables.

The stories.

The friendships.

The laughter.

Nobody was trying to impress anybody.

We were just there.

And there’s a reason Scripture says, “How good and pleasant it is when God’s people live together in unity.”

That doesn’t mean everyone agrees on everything.

It means there is something beautiful when God’s people choose to be together—to know one another, love one another, make room for one another, and enjoy one another.

I think that’s part of the harvest, too.

Yes, we’re called to go out into the world and share what God has given us.

But God also grows something in us when we gather around the table.

When we slow down long enough to hear each other’s stories.

When we laugh together.

When we notice who might be sitting alone.

When we choose relationship over another item on the calendar.

So maybe it’s time to bring back the church picnic.

It doesn’t have to be an actual picnic.

It could be coffee after church.

Dinner with another family.

Inviting someone over.

Or simply pushing back the calendar and saying, “Stay a little longer.”

Because sometimes the most spiritual thing we can do is make time to be together.

And before you get any big ideas, just know…

I’m bringing the potato salad.

 

A MOMENT TO REFLECT

  • Who are the people in your life you genuinely enjoy being around, and when was the last time you intentionally made time for them?
  • Has busyness or a full calendar caused you to lose some of the simple relationships and connections that once mattered to you?
  • Is there someone in your church, family, or community who might be feeling disconnected or alone? What could you do to make room for them?
  • What does “living together in unity” look like in your relationships right now? Is there someone you need to listen to, forgive, encourage, or simply spend time with?
  • What is one thing you could say no to this week so you could say yes to more meaningful time with people?

QUESTION TO CARRY WITH YOU TODAY

Who is God inviting me to slow down for—to share a meal, hear their story, or simply enjoy being together?

 

/by

When Differences Become Gifts

, ,

Psalm 133:1 — How good and pleasant it is when God’s people live together in unity!

I watch the front door slam behind her and know this is going to matter more than either of us realizes.

Amanda and I are barely a year into marriage, still learning how to disagree without burning the house down. She’s Jamaican—expressive and fiery. I’m American—quiet, stubborn.

“I hate living in this country. I’m going home,” she says.

The words hang in the air.

At first, I give her space. That’s my instinct. But something won’t let me stay put. I find her sitting on a curb a few streets away—homesick now, anger spent. She gets in the car, and we sit in silence.

“You’ve got to stop saying you hate America and that you want to go home,” I finally say. “Because one day I’m going to say, ‘Okay. Go then.’”

It isn’t harsh. It’s honest.

Marriage can’t survive if one person is always halfway out the door.

Later, she tells me that moment changed everything. Choosing me meant choosing this life. And that decision saved our marriage more times than I can count—because our differences didn’t fade. They multiplied.

Take birthdays. In Jamaican culture, if the sun comes up and there’s no big gift or celebration, congratulations—you’ve ruined everything. I learned that the hard way. We still laugh about it.

But those differences also became gifts. Her family’s joy. Their faith. Their wholehearted love for God. I’d leave their house spiritually full, reminded of what matters most. And she learned to love parts of my world, too.

Our family grew—with biological children and then international adoption that felt less like a plan and more like an interruption from Heaven we couldn’t ignore.

Our multicultural family didn’t become united because life got easier. It became united because love stayed.

Sacrificial love has always been the glue.

Scripture says,

“How good and pleasant it is when God’s people live together in unity.” — Psalm 133:1

Unity isn’t sameness. It isn’t erasing differences. It’s not pretending hard things aren’t hard.

Unity is staying.

It’s choosing presence over escape. Service over self. Commitment over convenience. It’s love that works through the hard instead of walking away from it.

If your life is marked by differences—culture, personality, background, opinion—don’t assume those differences are problems to solve. They may be the very place God is teaching you how to love.

Stay committed. Stay united. Let God shape something beautiful right where you are.

— TobyMac

A MOMENT TO REFLECT

  • Where in your relationships are you tempted to withdraw instead of stay?
  • How have differences—cultural, personal, or otherwise—shaped you in unexpected ways?
  • What does unity look like in your life right now: sameness, or sacrificial love?
  • What is one practical way you can choose presence over escape this week?

 

/by