The Wagley GroupNovember, 2025 – Faithful Living® ~
November 2025
Faithful Living®
Joe Wagley
We need each other
We love spending time in the greater metropolitan New York area now that our youngest Jenn is there, along with her fiancé Will, and his family. During our last trip, it was nice to be included in several appointments as they put some finishing touches on their wedding plans. I never dreamed she would be a city girl. It amazes me how God works it.
New York remains a city of extremes. Those who have, those who struggle to have…and everyone else in-between. With the allure and magic of a metropolis that never sleeps; the magnificence of a skyline that is world renown, coupled with the hustle and bustle existence that is commonplace, there is certainly an attraction to feel and experience a bit of city life. I suspect these visits will become more frequent as time gets along. Becky and I are looking forward to this and their wedding, but I must say, there’s no place like home.
As we headed back home early Thursday morning, our hope was to get back in Adrian so we could attend our Life Group at Grace Point Church that evening. Everything was going smoothly until we passed the massive former GM plant near Lordstown, OH. I marveled at the size of the plant and took my gaze off I-80 just for a second. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw a board on the highway and could not swerve quick enough to miss it. It struck the right front and rear tires and I immediately made a comment that I hoped they would be good enough to get us home. God had a different plan.
Maybe 10 miles further west, the tire pressure on the right rear started to drop. And then the right front started to fade. Luckily, we passed a sign for a travel plaza and I prayed we could get there before riding on the rims. We did. Upon arrival, I got out and looked—the rear tire was flat and the front one, not far behind. We thanked the Lord that we were not stranded along the roadway.
Trying to navigate roadside service from our car was difficult so I called my local insurance agent. He picked right up and I explained the situation. We searched for tire repair companies and our agent encouraged me to contact them. He said to bring him the paid receipt for reimbursement. The first company did not answer. The second call was answered by a wonderful lady. She said to call the third company and if they were unable, they would try to help…but 5:00 quitting time was close at hand. I made the call, and this company had a mobile tire repair service. The gentleman said he could be there in 40 minutes. He repaired the tires and 2.5 hours later, we were on our way.
The following week at Life Group, everyone wanted to know about our trip to New York. It was fun to share the details of our time with Jenn, Will and his family…and all of our galivanting around. And, of course we had to share about deflate-gate at mile marker 197.
One of the best things about our Life Group is that we share about our lives in a safe setting with our brothers and sisters in Christ. The Bible speaks much on this very subject. Here are several verses:
“Bear one another’s burdens, and so fulfill the law of Christ.” Galatians 6:2.
“Therefore encourage one another and build one another up, just as you are doing.” 1 Thessalonians 5:11
“Be completely humble and gentle; be patient, bearing with one another in love.” Ephesians 4:2
“May the God of endurance and encouragement grant you to live in such harmony with one another, in accordance with Christ Jesus, that together you may with one voice glorify the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ.” Romans 15:5-6
In our prayer time and in sharing with one another, we talked about when the ‘flat tires’ of life hit us from out of nowhere. These road bumps that affect us all. We all experience them. When they come, how do we react? Will they throw us into confusion? Will they produce anger and frustration in taking us off our normal routines? Or, will the overflow of the Spirit calm our hearts and minds in knowing that we can trust and rely on our Lord to work every detail out for our good and His glory.
During this entire ordeal, we knew that God had us. He took care of us. We placed our trust in Jesus through our brief delay and we’re able to share with others about the faithfulness of our Lord.
In a larger congregation, it’s hard to drill down and get to know everyone. That’s where Life Groups come in. With 8-14 people that meet regularly to do life together, this helps build the unity and community that Christ desired when He began His church. We need each other. Building deep relationships with our brothers and sisters is essential for healthy living.
When the ‘flat tires’ come, and know full well they will…it’s nice to know that there are close friends that will come along side us to support, pray, encourage and sustain us through any and all hardships we experience.
If you are not currently engaged in a small group, or have an accountability partner, please consider beginning that journey. May our Lord bless your efforts!