From Psalm 124:1-8
If the Lord had not been on our side—
4 the flood would have engulfed us,
the torrent would have swept over us,
5 the raging waters would have swept us away
4 the flood would have engulfed us,
the torrent would have swept over us,
5 the raging waters would have swept us away
8 Our help is in the name of the Lord,
the Maker of heaven and earth.
the Maker of heaven and earth.
My heart goes out to anyone who is alone and going through a painful, difficult time. God has promised to never forsake us and it is always reassuring when He makes his presence known through a friend. When someone stops by or gets in touch with a phone call, text, e-mail, or card it is a reminder that God is near. What does it take to show God’s love? Those who make it through hard times generally express appreciation for the small things that were done for them with such gratitude that those small things would seem to be big things! "We want to thank everyone for lifting us up during this challenge and are truly humbled by the outpouring of love” were words in an e-mail my friend sent out this week. Her 31 year old son, father of a 3 year old with another baby due in a month, had gone to the ER with a headache and ended up in surgery for a brain tumor.
“What did this outpouring of love look like?” I asked.
“It was as varied as those who responded,” she answered. “Calls, texts, first responders who came to be at our side not knowing what journey we were about to begin, someone showing up with food or a cup of coffee at just the right time and more than anything a network of prayer that I am still learning about. People praying literally across the nation for our son and for all of us – sometimes he was prayed for by name and sometimes he was referred to as a young father who needed to be here for his family. It was absolutely incredible to know that people literally were praying for God to intervene on his behalf and to protect us all.”
The little bear in the picture above was part of an especially sweet act of love this week from the heart of one friend to another. It arrived in the mail for one of my friends undergoing radiation therapy for breast cancer. The friend sending it had received it from another friend years ago when she had been going through a rough patch in her marriage. The message shared will no doubt be soon passed along to someone else in the group who needs it because the bonds of friendship are strong in this circle of friends. The bear carried an important reminder, “A friend is God's life preserver.”
Yes, the Lord is on our side. In praise of grace, He often makes His presence known through friends. May you recognize that their help is in the name of the Lord, the maker of heaven and earth, a demonstration of His love for you.
