Almost a year ago, on the night before my wedding, I received a text from a sweet friend. She told me she couldn't decide what to give me for a gift (even though she had already given me a present for my shower), and after thinking about it for a long time, decided to give me the gift of prayer. She said she was setting her alarm to pray for me every hour for the next 24 hours. The next morning, on the day of my wedding, I awoke to find she had texted me throughout the night with prayers and words of encouragement. Talk about being overwhelmed with emotion! I wept tears of thankfulness for such a kind friend and for the outpouring of love I felt from her and so many others on that special day.
Now, almost a year since then, I have had the privilege (along with many others) of praying for her as her husband has been in the hospital with some alarming symptoms. After days of tests and no answers, they were given an answer today, and he should be better and home within the next three days. I am sooo thankful!!!
And today especially, I am thankful for a friend who labored all night in prayer for me and my marriage with Geoff. I am convinced that we are reaping the blessings of those prayers today, and will continue to for however many years we're given together.
It makes me sad to think that so many people pass their days in loneliness and isolation, when God has designed us for relationship. We need each other! We need each other on happy, joyous days like weddings, because commitments are not sustained by beautiful dresses and albums filled with artsy photography. And we need each other when spouses get sick and family members die and jobs are lost and when there are so many questions but seem to be no answers.
Are you living on an island? Swim on over (maybe get out of your comfort zone a bit?) to a place of community and true friendship. There's good stuff over here!
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