I didn’t truly realize it was November until like, yesterday. It’s just slowly settling in that the holiday season approacheth and the end of the year cometh. Despite the rush that inevitably comes with the holiday season, I’m so excited for the simple moments of peace it brings. I’m so thankful for everything this year has brought! Praise God!

I’m an intense introvert. Like, I rate 85% introvert (sometimes higher) on the Myers-Briggs. Because of my need to spend time alone with the Lord, sometimes I forget that an equally important part of the Christian life is community. But the Lord has been reminding me just how exquisitely beautiful community can be!

This month, my church held our annual Harvest Party. This autumn potluck happens when the whole congregation gathers together for food, fellowship, and music. I was so encouraged during a time of unassuming conversation and time with others! We laughed and chatted and I got to help set out the food. It filled my cup.

My church also has a ministry in which they pair young adults with families to help them plug in and have community. My adopted family consists of a dad, a mom, and their three precious little girls. Each week when I go hang out at their house, I feel refreshed and filled. Because of the fellowship I spend with this sweet family, talking with the mom, playing with the girlies, I’m more equipped to love others. I see the world through the wonder of a child when I run around in the backyard and play Perler beads.

Community is beautiful, y’all. Spending time with people just for the sake of fellowship equips you to do things you wouldn’t do on your own. Every time I leave my adopted family’s house, I feel my heart spilling over with joy and everything feels lighter. That joy carries into my week. It makes me stronger. I feel more able to glorify God, because my heart has been encouraged.

Don’t you love it when the Lord says, “I’m going to teach you a thing, and it’s not going to hurt. It’s going to be delightful.” He’s been doing that this week!

On Tuesday, a friend and I texted back and forth about the idea of magnifying the Lord with our lives. The purpose of everything we do should be to make Christ known! I sent her a song version of Psalm 34:3, and went about my day with the idea on my heart.

On Wednesday, I woke up with the song “Christ Be Magnified” in my head. I could rant about how exquisite this song is for ages, both in its poetic vocabulary and its powerful meaning. The third verse, for example, declares, “When every creature finds its inmost melody / And every human heart its native cry / Oh then in one enraptured hymn of praise / We’ll sing Christ be magnified” After listening to this song on repeat throughout the day, I transitioned to a sermon. I enjoyed the intro, but when the speaker said, “We’re going to talk about magnifying the Lord,” I was dumbstruck. That was a God wink, I thought.

On Thursday, “Christ Be Magnified” stayed in my head. All day long.

On Friday, I attended a Thanksgiving worship service. As one of the worship leaders introduced the song, I started to suspect. As the music intro played, my mouth dropped open. They were singing “Christ Be Magnified.” No words.

This morning I woke up with Christy Nockels’ “Come Magnify” in my head.

It sounds like the Lord is trying to get my attention, doesn’t it? With all of this emphasis, I’ve been meditating on what it means to magnify the Lord. The speaker in the sermon I heard likened it to being told, “you remind me of your dad.” I love that analogy because when I meet people, I don’t want them to see me. I want them to see Christ in me. I don’t want to treat them kindly and for them to think, “she’s so kind.” I want them to recognize that Jesus is the one showing them kindness, through me. My life should be a testimony to His praise, to His grace, and to His glory.

Magnifying the Lord is something that is done even better in community. The Psalmist encourages his audience to “magnify the LORD with me, and let us exalt his name together!” (Psalm 34:3). Throughout the week, each time the Lord layered another reminder into my day, I would send a text to the friend with which the whole “magnify” motif started. Sharing with her what God was teaching me helped me to magnify Him, making His name more known as she praised Him, too.

Thanksgiving is just around the corner. What if, this month, instead of merely counting our blessings, we pointed them back toward God? How can my thankfulness magnify the Lord? This is a question I think I’ll be asking for quite some time. I’m not sure these songs will ever get out of my head, and I feel great about that!

“My soul magnifies the Lord, and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior,” Luke 1:46-47