One.

Recently on the way back from a road trip I got stopped for about two hours due to a horrible wreck. The kind of wreck that's got you holding your breath because you know there is at least one fatality; but hoping for a miracle that there isn't. Traffic was backed up bumper to bumper for three miles and most of the cars in my area including myself were completely turned off. Several of us were outside of our cars, walking around and talking as we tried to figure out what happened. At one point ambulances that were called to the scene couldn't get through, so many of us turned our cars sideways into lanes to make a path for them. Some of the people that I met and talked to agreed with me that our area looked like the main picture from The Walking Dead:
        

As we made our way back to our cars because the road was going to be opening up soon, I got to experience something pretty cool. One guy that I met in a truck next to me was on his way back to UAB and he stepped up to lead the people around us to merge and get back into lanes without causing anymore accidents. He was in the middle lane and from his truck directing with arm motions: "Okay, now you go forward" "Yes, I'll let you get over and then you move forward and I'll let this person in" "Okay, now you merge". It was so cool to see everyone work together for a common goal: to get home. For a short time it literally felt as if we all knew each other and shared a common bond of well and wanted each one to succeed and make it home safely.

For some reason it made me think of the church today. I'll let you draw your own conclusions about the church day; but for myself I am burdened in many ways. One of my favorite Bible verses is Ephesians 4:4:

There is one body and one Spirit—just as you were called to the one hope that belongs to your call—

As believers we're all made one by the one Spirit that was sent to us because of our hope and belief in Jesus. Being stuck in that back-up traffic helped me to view this truth in a different light. Our goal should be to help us all make it our eternal goal, loving and encouraging each other a long the way. It should look more like people working together whether they know each other or not, to help them get farther than they currently are without letting them get too banged up a long the way. In order to do this, it can only genuinely happen as we grow closer to God.

Something that I'm praying for myself, local church and believers as a whole comes from Colossians 1:9-12:

 For this reason also, since the day we heard of it, we have not ceased to pray for you and to ask that you may be filled with the knowledge of His will in all spiritual wisdom and understanding, so that you will walk in a manner worthy of the Lord, to please Him in all respects, bearing fruit in every good work and increasing in the knowledge of God; strengthened with all power, according to His glorious might, for the attaining of all steadfastness and patience;joyously giving thanks to the Father, who has qualified us to share in the inheritance of the saints in Light.

Will you join me in praying that God will show us and strengthen us to love and work together to make it home?