I concretely experienced "doing life together in all its ups and downs" this past year as I faced one of the most difficult "downs" in my life with the death of my mom.
Galatians 6:2 "Carry each other's burdens, and in this way you will fulfill the law of Christ."
I experienced this verse firsthand as my burden became the burden of the whole church. Through each and every stage of my mom's illness, the entire church carried us through continuous, desperate and earnest prayer. People approached, called, and asked me if we needed any help. Those with expertise in the medical field answered all my questions and gave advice. People offered to take up my workload so that I would have more time to attend to my mom's needs. And there were those who comforted and prayed for me. They were people who I was close to and also came to know better as they chose to take on this burden with me even though many did not know my mom personally.
It is not possible to simply sum up the difficulty that I faced and continue to face, but there wasn't a moment when I felt alone. It was the constant presence of people that gave strength and sustained me. I realized that we take on one another's joys and sorrows because we are friends, brothers and sisters, and a community. I'm so thankful that I was able to go through this darkest and lowest point surrounded by this community.