Support, Jody Perry

Support, Jody Perry

The local churches have been very influential in my life. I was born in Denver, Colorado, and my family met with the members of the local church in Denver. When I was four and my brother was two, we moved to Billings, Montana. Brothers and sisters from the local church in Billings welcomed us and made the move easier, both physically and emotionally. After about three years my dad divorced my mom and left the three of us to fend for ourselves.

A lot of the anger and feelings of betrayal were alleviated by the care we received from the believers in Billings. Everyone in the local church in Billings shared my family's suffering during that time and we all grew together.

Because my dad wasn't paying child support, and the economy in Billings was going through a recession, my mom traveled to Atlanta, Georgia (where she grew up) to look for a job. Eventually we packed up what we didn't or couldn't sell in Billings and moved to Atlanta. This was a hard move for us because my brother and I were older and more attached to people in Billings, and of course my mom wasn't prepared to raise us and provide for us on her own. Besides the support of the members of the local church in Billings, the members of the local church in Atlanta also welcomed us and took us in. I think particularly for my brother this was important, because as a boy he critically needed a father figure. The older brothers in the local church in Atlanta took him under their wing, stood with him, and prayed for and with him, especially in some incredibly difficult situations. I really believe that without their care and guidance, my brother wouldn't have made it to where he is today.

As believers, we're all members of the Body of Christ, but practically we are separated according to our location. My experiences with these different local churches in different cities has made the truth about the Body of Christ as revealed in the Word a reality to me.

Knowing

Because of growing up in a Christian home, I was often surrounded by conversations about the Bible and the things of God. At a young age I was introduced to the writings of Watchman Nee and Witness Lee. Through my reading of their writings the Bible became more understandable to me and was a source of comfort and encouragement. Even questions I didn't know I had were answered.

Often a person's experience is limited by his knowledge. The more a person knows about something, the greater his experience of that thing will be. For example, the more a person knows about computers and everything they can do, the more he can interact with them. I feel the same is true with knowledge in the spiritual realm. The more I know the facts about the Triune God and the Bible, the more I'm brought into a richer enjoyment of these facts. The writings of Watchman Nee and Witness Lee have presented to me many of the facts in the Bible resulting in a deeper and richer appreciation of God's Word.

Not only do their writings present the facts contained in the Bible but their writings also have the quality of nourishing the reader with spiritual food. Their words penetrate beyond the realm of mental knowledge, touching the spirit of man. Often, through my reading of their books I'm brought out of my questioning, out of my moods, and into the peace one can only experience through a greater apprehension of the Word of God.