Written by Wendy Neill
When you were a kid, you may have been in a club. Maybe it was Girl Scouts. Maybe you had a tree house and created a club of your closest friends, posting “No boys allowed!” on the door. In high school, your club might have been the journalism team or FFA. You may have walked around with Greek letters on your shirt in college, or maybe you were in chorus or band.
As an adult, you may find yourself in a club to which you never intended to belong.
AA or Celebrate Recovery are official “clubs” that may have helped you pick up some broken pieces and put things back together. There are also the unspoken clubs that no one wants to join, but somehow you find yourself going through a terrible initiation process. There is the cancer club, the chronic pain club, the club of parents who have buried their children, and so many more. I have dear friends in these clubs: Susan, Joy, Tanya, Michelle, Glenda, Laura, Heidi, Terri, Danna, Carole, Judy, Stephanie and Becky. If I find myself unwillingly placing membership in one of them, I know they will walk beside me.
When these women say “All things work for the good of those who love the Lord” in the midst of my trial, I believe them, because they are living proof. There are hugs and tears and words that carry much more meaning because these women know the hurt. Together, we can find the One who is our source of comfort.
The great news is you are a member of the most important club of all: the Church. The initiation fee was beyond your reach, but it has been paid by the Founder. Don’t just wear the t-shirt and show up for meetings. This club is worth your all. There, you will truly be transformed.