This morning I received a huge crock pot full of homemade turkey soup. It smells delicious and I have to wait until tonight to eat it. But beyond the smell is the intent behind the soup.
I have a young, sweet friend. She has a three year old daughter. She has been married for a few years. The marriage is not a good one. Things are not the way God intended them to be. She is not loved well at the moment. Life is hard and the holidays have been tough.
My friend found herself in a situation a few months ago that escalated to the point of her needing another place to live for her safety. She called me and I started thinking and praying with her. That morning as I was praying for her, the Lord brought another friend's name to mind. A friend that I had not seen in a while but one that I knew had a room in her home. I called her. The teenage girl that had been living with her had just moved out. Her home was open and so was her heart. Within a few days we had my friend and her daughter in a place of safety and love. It has been a true answer to prayer for everyone involved.
I was not able to see my friend over the holiday. We had a house full of family and some out of town friends stopped by and then I was not feeling well. It just did not work out. When I called to check on her, I mentioned that I had not been feeling well the day before. We talked and she shared her feelings and emotions about the holiday. Her fears and her blessings. She told me that it had not been as hard as she thought. She knew that prayers had been a big part of that.
She called last night to say that she was making a big pot of turkey soup and she was going to bring me some. Of course, I immediately told her no. She had too much to do and she needed to just enjoy the soup herself. She would not take no for an answer. She said, "please let me do this for you."
It is the season of giving. We all know that it makes us feel good to give to others. We all are told that it is better to give than to receive. But I know for me personally, it is much easier for me to give than it is for me to receive. I don't receive well. God is working on me in that area.
So, early this morning, my sweet friend showed up at my house with ALL of the soup she made last night. She is going home tonight to make more for her. She got up very early. She dropped her sweet baby girl off at daycare. She then drove out of her way to drop off her delicious soup. She left my house and rushed to her job where she will work all day until she picks her sweet daughter up later this evening. And in the middle of her hurting life she smiled so big as she blessed me with her gift.
The blessings of this morning will make both of our days a little brighter. She gave. I received. And in the process the Spirit of the season was shared. Hope blossomed for us both. In the middle of our little "bless-fes", we talked about the counseling she will pursue over the next few weeks with her husband. She is open to God's plan for their marriage. She is willing to look at the future. Only God knows where it will lead. But in the middle of the loss and the pain and the sad situation, He showed His great love for both of us.
And all the time God is good.
Thanks be to God for His indescribable Gift.
2 Corinthians 9:15
No comments:
Post a Comment