I already had a newsletter ready to ship for this week….
But I’m going to call an audible. An audible for prayer…
It’s going to be a short one, today, and I won’t be able to read it because I’d just probably cry the whole time.
I’ll still publish the article “Covid Did Me A Favor” later in the week. But today… my heart is hurting, my spirit is pausing to pray, my urge is to slow down.
First of all, the day after I started writing my article, I get the news about a dear friend of mine, Sarah, who’s gotten Covid. Hers is an especially urgent situation because she’s been enduring treatment for breast cancer for the past year. Her body is weak. Her muster to fight has just been pointed at weeks of radiation. She’s a warrior who has been in battle for months.
I just want to take the energy around this writing project and I want to point it in her direction. Pray for my friend Sarah who has a compromised immune system and is having a hard and unexpected fight this week. Her specific requests were for the fever to break, for the infection to stay out if her lungs and for rest.
I also have experienced indirect heartbreak this week. Another very close friend, Anto, reached out to me late on Thursday night. She’s a nanny / home assistant to a family and she’s been at this job for years. She’s raised the two children for years. The 15 year old son took his life and passed on Friday. The 14 year old daughter found him.
💔
Honestly, there’s nothing I could do to understand or comprehend the amount of pain that she and this family are experiencing. I’m a mess just putting it into words…
But, I wanted to just take a moment this week and pray for them. I don’t know the family… but I know my friend. I know she loves this family. I want to support her as she now has to support her “work” family. She has to grieve while supporting this family.
I want OUR prayers this week to be reminders to Sarah and Anto and this family, that they are not alone.
That’s all I ever really want … for anyone who’s going through it in this crazy life we live. God, be there for the weakened and the broken hearted. Let them know, today that they are not alone. We don’t have the ability to heal or comfort or console. We cannot mend the brokenness… we cannot give strength to the weakened. But You can… and that’s Your promise.
“The Lord is close to the brokenhearted and saves those who are crushed in spirit.” Psalms 34:18 NIV
We believe this and we ask You to be close to this broken-hearted family… and we ask You to save and heal those that are crushed in spirit.
Thank You for giving us a place to turn when we are helpless and in need of You.
*****
I had this post scheduled to ship at 3pm. I close my writing app, open FB for the first time today, and the first thing I see is a post from my friend (and supporter of this ministry) Matthew Bryson announcing the passing of his father this morning. So many broken hearts God. 💔
Be close to the Bryson family today. Please God… be close.
Praying with a sigh. We can't control it God, but we seek to see you in all of this heartbreak. Please guide our hearts, bodies and minds through these difficult times. Amen.