A Refreshing

A time to cry and a time to laugh. A time to grieve and a time to dance.
Ecclesiastes 3:4 NLT

This year has been hard. Early in the year, I lost my brother and then two friends from church, then two long-time neighbors (unrelated to each other), and most recently, one of my closer friends. He and his wife are "inner circle" friends, and her grief is overwhelming. Thankfully, our church family understands what it means to be a family and how to weep with those who weep, how to put love into action, and truly how to bear one another's burdens. It has been so obvious these last 3½ weeks. 

God, in His unfailing faithfulness, places people in our daily paths to encourage, to lift up, to reminisce, and to laugh in the telling of memories. Helping hands, practical helps, unlimited offers of "anything you need" all lavished so that while we grieve, we are reminded that we are not without hope. 

Tonight, I attended a social event that takes place monthly at our church. I didn't really want to go. I had lots of excuses for not going. This was my first week back at the office since March of 2020, and I was tired. I wasn't in the mood to play games and it was game night. On and on - I had a list. But then I thought of my sweet friend who wanted to go because she and her husband used to go all the time before he got sick so I sucked it up and went. Thank You, Jesus

There is something about being in fellowship with other believers that strengthens a weary soul. Do you remember that old Michael W. Smith song, "Friends"?  One of the lines in the chorus is, "And friends are friends forever if the Lord's the lord of them..." Such a time of refreshing and soul restoration as the love and laughter soothed our hearts and minds. A time to cry and a time to laugh... 

Prayer:

Father,

           Just as Your Word says, To everything there is a season, A time for every purpose under heaven... Thank You for love and laughter and hope that springs eternal ever after. Thank You that we do not grieve without hope. We will once again see those who believed in You while on this earth. We look forward to that day. We pray for divine appointments for those who do not yet believe. In Jesus' Name we pray. Amen