One day last week was a hard day. I don't know why, exactly. I can't put my finger on it, but I just woke up 'on the wrong side of the bed' so to speak. I felt growly and grumpy, and to make matters worse, I had to drop Elizabeth off for a morning babysitting job, which meant that I had all the kids all by myself for the whole day.
It was kind of warm outside yesterday, but not really, and everything was still wet from the rain the night before, so going to a playground was out, and I still don't have a good stroller to be able to go somewhere like Huntley Meadows with all 4 of them, so I was stuck and didn't know what to do. I knew that the kids would feed off my bad mood and raise a ruckus if I just took them home to play, and I didn't want that to happen to make things go from bad to worse, and I was just at a loss.
On a whim, I called a friend of mine. Her response? Why don't you guys come over here and play? I wasn't sure that I wanted to take her up on her offer. I mean, she has one little girl, but if we all came, I would be bringing 4 kids to her house! That's a lot for any small space to handle. But, no, she insisted, and we all went to her house.
It was wonderful!
We had never been to her house even though she has come over to play at ours a few times. We usually meet at the park between our neighborhoods, so it was a new experience for all of my kids, and they loved it! There was a wide open space to play in the living room, and a few well thought out toys to play with in the playroom. Perfect! No overload of toys, no huge messes to be made, just right. I got to watch the littlest ones crawl around on the floor and enjoy themselves, and the big ones all got to play together and my friend and I got to chat a bit between wiping up cracker crumbs and runny noses.
This was just what I needed, right when I needed it. Without it, I would have survived, of course, but things would not have been nearly as enjoyable, and no one would have had as much fun. Her offer of friendship immediately lifted my mood, cheered my heart and raised my spirits. The whole day turned around and my grumps were gone.
My friends are important to me. They make me happy and make my heart sing. Earlier this week, a chat from a far away friend totally made my day, too, and women's Bible study warms my spirit. Even when it's a call for help from someone else, it heartens me to think that this person thought of me when the were hurting or needed something. They see me as a friend, too. Give and take is a beautiful thing.
It got me to thinking. Jo's AWANA verse this week is:
Colossians 1:3
We always thank God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, when we pray for you.
Do I? Do I always thank God when I pray for my friends? Beyond even that, do I even remember to pray for my friends when they don't 'need' it? Do I pray for my friends just because? Just because they are my friends and I am thankful for them? Just because they are my friends and I want good things for them?
It was not necessary for my friend to invite us over yesterday. In fact, she didn't even need to answer her phone when she saw me calling. But she did, and I am thankful for it. It was not necessary that my far away friend take the time out of their day to chat with me. But they did, and I am thankful for it.
So, friend, thank you for being here. Thank you for listening to me. Thank you for trusting me with your needs and helping me meet mine. Thank you for being my friend and letting me be yours. And know that you are in my prayers because I do thank God, the Father of the Lord Jesus Christ, for you.
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