Amazing!

This morning I am once again in awe of God.  The food he gives me each morning is just perfect to meet my needs for the day.  Last night was the first opportunity to physically see my friend since her husband died so suddenly - and God gave me the perfect food in preparation for that experience. 

Since her husband's death, I have been asking God to show me how to be a good friend to her as she faces this huge change in her life. Yesterday, I was taken to the preface for a less common version of the Bible.  As I was reading it, there was a section that talked specifically about this very subject - being a good friend to one who is grieving.  Something that was said there really stood out to me.  It was something like this: Rather than pitying our friends who are grieving, we would be best to look up to them and see what we can learn from them.  As I read this message, I realized, YES! They are going through the "refiner's fire" (Mal 3:2) and learning important and valuable things through their experiences.  This made so much sense to me, though I had never thought of anything like it before.

So last night, I went to our meeting with an open heart, continuing to ask that God's love flow through me, and also that I be open and teachable. Wow! What a lesson! There were INDEED important things for me to learn from my friend.  She taught me so much last night about how to "love your neighbor as yourself." (Lev 19:18, Matt 22:39) She did not have all her focus on herself and her grief, neither did she have all her focus on trying to help her friends feel better.  She simply expressed love that encompassed both.  Here are a couple of specific things I learned.

1. Feel your feelings and express them.  When I hold them in, as I so often tend to do, I keep myself shut off from those around me.  They care, but may find it hard to express that caring when they don't know where I'm at.
2. Trust your friends to care and let them know what you need.  I have such a hard time letting others in sometimes!  When I'm hurting, though I long for the comfort of friends, too often my choice is to hole up by myself and hide from the world.  As my friend asked different ones of us for things she wanted and needed from us, she honored each of us as friends that wanted to be there for her. It meant so much to us, and I believe it helped her as well.  How much better would my life be if I opened up more to allow others to express their God-given love for me?  Can I learn to be that gracious.  To understand and know that others want to help but may not know how?  Can I open my arms to them to let them know I welcome their hugs and their love?

Father, this morning as I think through the lessons that you taught me through my friend last night, I am so grateful!  Thank you for such timely guidance, encouraging me to be open to learning and looking for what my friend had to teach me.  I've learned much about the value of humility this week as I've admitted my desire to be a good friend to the grieving, along with my fear that I didn't know how best to do that and that I might cause hurt instead. You've brought teachers through books and conversations. And you've shown me much more about what it means for us to all be one as I've wept both for the loss I feel, and for my friend and her pain. Thank you for the friends you have given, and the way I feel your love through them.  Thank you for your continued blessings on all of us!  I love you, Father!