The benefit of being in fellowship

Around this time of year I realize how much I miss the five fruit trees I use to have in my back yard in California. They bore fruit all year long, at least it seemed that way. I made baskets for friends and gave away huge bags of lemons, oranges, grapefruits, and tangerines. Friends and family delighted in this and so did I after I made a nice big glass of fresh squeezed orange juice.

When the winter rolled around and I felt a sore throat coming on, my dear husband would go to the back yard and pick several of each fruit and make me a concentrated juice drink. The next day, there was no sign of sickness at all.

Now when I crave juice, I have to go to the store--and it is expensive to top it off. So I plotted to plant some fruit trees in the back yard. But then I realized that no one around here has trees of this sort--there must be a reason, duh! "I'll have to plant something else that will survive." I thought.

A friend told me that the best thing to do when planting a tree, is to buy several. And them plant them close to each other. Trees flourish and produce fruit much better when they are near other trees. This is because they help to fertilize each other. It is the same with us as Christians. Being surrounded by other believers is healthy for us. We can thrive, flourish, grow stronger, bear good fruit, and much more when we are planted in a solid church around others who love the Lord. That is why the bible says in Hebrews 10:24-25a "And let us consider one another in order to stir up love and good works, not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as is the manner of some..."