Because I Have You In My Heart

I always think of the church at Philippi as a small church.  When Paul first went there with the gospel, there were so few Jews there that they didn’t even have a synagogue in the town.  Paul would usually go there first, wherever he was, and share the good news of Jesus the Messiah.  But, this town had so few Jews, they just met outside the city gates by the river each Sabbath day to pray together.  And that is where Paul joined them and preached the gospel.  And so I think of it as small although by the time this letter was written, it may have been a mega-church!  Who knows?

When you read verses 1-11 of this first chapter, did you sort of get the idea that Paul and Timothy really LOVED the people at Philippi?  In verse 3 Paul says, “I thank my God in all my remembrance of you.”  Aren’t there those people in your life that make you feel that same way?  Just the thought of them can make you laugh and cry and be thankful all at the same time.

My Mom, Lil, is one.  Oh, how I miss her and oh, how I thank God for the firm, loving, godly mother He blessed me with.  And my Mom’s friend, Myrtle, I love her still and always give thanks for what she taught me about being a wife.

Roy and I have lived a lot of places on this earth and in every place there are dear people that I remember with thanksgiving and with awe that I even was blessed enough to be at a time and place that I could know them.  I think of an elderly couple in Holland, Jan and Ans Poot.  They are humble, and simple and glorious pray-ers.  A few years ago when one of my boys was going through a really rough time, Jan would pray for him and every time I felt like Jan had escorted my son right into the presence of God to be laid at His feet.  Will I ever forget them?  Impossible. 

As we have lived this transient expat life for several years, there are always two ways to go with this friendship thing.  Some people say, “oh, I don’t want to get close to anyone or invest too much time, they’ll be leaving in a year or we will and it’s just too painful to always be saying good-bye.  Roy and I never really considered approaching it that way – we always just jump right in and start giving our lives away wherever God plunks us down.  He always has things prepared for us and we are always surprised and usually (although not always) delighted when we find out what they are.  Yes, I weep and cry and feel like my heart is being torn out every time we leave a group of people that I have come to love.  But, like one of them said to me as we parted, “wouldn’t it be REALLY sad if you had come here for these two years and left and no one shed a tear, no one cared at all – that would be sad indeed.”

And then there are the people we love that we become separated from.  Sometimes through anger or misunderstanding or sometimes we just drift away without really meaning to.  But, still, if someone mentions their name, or you see an old photograph, a little tear might form in the corner of your eye or you may find yourself chuckling over some hilarious little thing that pops into your mind.  Just in the last year, I have been reunited with one of these friends.  Well, over 30 years ago we lost track of each other, I was uncomfortable, I was immature, I just didn’t know how to handle something.  So, even though I wasn’t angry, and I still loved my friend, I just walked away gradually.  And before I knew it, it’s our 40^th class reunion and there she was – and there were tears and laughter, tight, tight hugs and so much emotion, I was a mess!  I’m so thankful she still loves me and I still love her.  Thank you God for preserving that love for all these years.  This is how she closed her last email to me: “Feels so good to have you back in my life, sometimes words don't say enough!”

Paul was writing to the believers at Philippi.  This always adds another dimension to the love we feel for these people we thank God for.  When you have two true believers in Jesus Christ, friendship and fellowship happen quickly – we are already brothers and sisters in Christ which allows us to cut through the small talk and the icebreakers or whatever else is needed to get acquainted.  We immediately know that we have a common bond.  We can share our trials and triumphs, we can prayer for each other and what I always love – praying for each others’ kids.  There is trust, not because we are such great people but, because Jesus Christ is our Savior and through Him, we can be a blessing to each other.

Just two more verses I want to comment on in this section. Verse 6 says “For am confident in this very thing, that He who began a good work in you will perfect it until the day of Christ Jesus.”  Who’s the “He” who began a good work?  God.  And what could that good work be?  Did your grandma read you a Bible Story, did you go to VBS?  Did you ever listen to anyone truly explain what the gospel is?  Those are all the beginning of good works.  Those are all the Lord beginning a work in your life.  Are you my friend?  The Lord MAY use me in your life.  I say MAY – because it’s not up to me, it’s up to Him. 

Verse 7 says in part “For it is only right for me to feel this way about you all, because I have you in my heart…….”

That’s why all this love, thankfulness, and remembrance stays with us, because God made us to be people in His image, people capable and drawn to love….because I have you in my heart.