Shepherding: Two Sisters

Two sisters who used to attend the meeting with the church here in Gurugram were left out in the new church's WhatsApp group when we created a new group filtering out all those who were no longer in Gurugram or are not meeting regularly with the church here anymore. As there was a feeling among the brothers that the church's group should be maintained only for those who are regular. Moreover, the information posted is also meant for practical church life only. Therefore, a good number of those saints who used to be in the previous group were not included in the new group. Though this was just a virtual action, it has an impact on our relationship. I personally felt like they have been "cut-off" for their not being fully one with the church here, practically speaking. In fact, there were considerations if they should be included or not in the new group. But if they were not fully for the church life, there was no point in including them either. Therefore, they were excluded.

Months have passed by, and last week our family situations were such that we had no option but to meet these two sisters. These meetings were related to our children's medical needs. 

My first daughter had a serious ear infection that needed urgent medication. My younger daughter needed her tooth to be removed immediately as a new teeth has overgrown the old teeth and the teeth next to it was shaking too. It needed our immediate attention.  

Due to the rampant spread of the pandemic, it was not advisable to visit any hospital as they were mostly frequented by Covid-19 positive patients, and the number of newly infected ones are alarmingly growing exponentially. Precaution is indeed better than cure. So the hospital option was out. Then, I considered visiting a daycare OPD or clinic. I contacted at least two, but due to the ongoing pandemic, these were also closed down. And amazingly only one option each was available for the two of my daughters.

For the first one, with an ear infection, we decided to visit a medical doctor who is a sister who used to meet with the church and now is being shepherded by another sister. This became the Lord's leading for us to visit her. In fact, she was also so happy to meet us and wanted a fellowship and prayer with us after the medical consultation. The consultation seemed like the Lord's tool to make us meet in her home. For we never visited her home even when she used to meet with us. She used to drop by for fellowship and prayer at the meeting hall before, but we never got to visit her. This time, we visited and had a wonderful time of fellowship on "Knowing God's Will". She has been struggling to discern the will of the Lord concerning her marriage so she requested a fellowship on this line. Therefore, I fellowshipped with her on this line - the Spirit's leading by life and peace, the leading by the word of God, and the circumstantial leading. She was so glad we visited and the fellowship with her was restored. May the Lord shepherd her to fully fellowship with the saints.

For the second one, my younger daughter, a dentist appointment was made by another sister who recently visited the same dentist. As she was being contacted for the upcoming online video training when she expressed her feeling to take the training. On my wife's inquiry about a dentist, she mentioned about this dentist and she offered to take my wife and the children to the same dentist. In that way, our fellowship was sovereignly restored. In fact, I thought she was no more interested to meet with the church. But the Lord sovereignly brought us together again. 

The Lord is the Shepherd. He uses whatever is best to shepherd His children. In this case, He sovereignly used my children's need for medical consultation to recover the fellowship and shepherding with these two sisters. In any case, by any means, the Lord as the Shepherd cares for His sheep and shepherds them too. 

Praise the Lord, I feel blessed to be a part of this shepherding recovery!