Fireside Chat Ministries

We were stopped at a red light earlier today as we were leaving one of the area’s large box stores. It was a beautiful, sunny day, and as usual, I was looking around at the scenery as my hubby and I chatted comfortably on the way home. I noticed something yellow sticking out in the middle of one of the landscaped flower beds near the side of the shopping plaza.  

A single Black-eyed Susan (Rudbeckia hirta) was fighting its way up into the sunlight through an oblivious patch of ornate summer grasses that had been indubitably planted by landscapers this past spring. The decorative grasses were tall and green with flaming red tips, so it was easy to spot the struggling yellow flower fighting for its life in the thicket. The lone flower looked so pitiful among the healthy green ornamental grass.  

You could tell that the grasses had grown aggressive and taken over the flower’s intended space. It was a little…sad. 

Immediately in my spirit I heard “that’s what happens to My children when they don’t stick close in communion together.” Whoa. I instantly recalled the nature shows we’ve all seen wherein the zebras (even the little ones) that stick closely with their herds are much safer from predators than a single zebra.  

A whole herd traveling together is much stronger and effective in scaring off the wildebeests in the wild. It was almost like the Black-eyed Susan needed help from her other Black-eyed Susan friends in standing up against the crowding of the grasses. But the Black-eyed Susan was alone. The grasses were many and they easily choked the little Susan out of the space she needed to thrive.  

And such is true of people in the faith community. 

Christians need communities of like-minded believers to spur them on in their most holy faith (see Hebrews 10:25).  

It might be tempting to stay home and neglect meeting with other believers. I’m certainly not saying that it’s not okay to miss church once in a while. We all need whole days off to rest. But the longer you’re out of communion with other believers, the easier it is for the wildebeest (satan himself) to single you out. He’ll try to strangle you right out of your home environment (see John 10:10).  

Don’t be like the singular Black-eyed Susan, fighting just to make it. Get into community like the ornamental grasses. Learn together so you can all grow and spread, until the next thing you know, your community has taken over the whole landscape. 

Love,  

Mandie ❤