prayer friends

Every Thursday night, at exactly 10 0' clock on the dot, my phone rings. And on the other end of the line is a friend-but not just any friend- a friend that is a treasure among treasures! I met her at church several years ago & we ministered in the youth ministry together. Sunday after Sunday, & Wednesday after Wednesday we spent time together & somewhere along the lines, God knitted our hearts together. I love when God does that. When HE chooses my friends for me. They always turn out to be the best ones!

This friend I speak of, Deb is her name, is one of the most amazing blessings that has ever come into my life! She is one of the smartest, funniest, wisest people I know. She has a heart of gold, & I know that her ultimate desire in life it to serve the Lord! She is one of the most selfless & giving people you'd ever meet, & her heart just shines through the way she loves others, me included.

For some reason, over the years, Deb has kind of taken me under her wing. She has become much like a mother figure & mentor in my life, & I have learned so much from her just by being a part of her life. She is the best cook I know, & when I was in the last days of my pregnancy, she spent an entire day in the kitchen with me, teaching me how to cook some amazing dishes, some nifty tricks to use, & sent me home with a stack of recipes as big as a phone book! We ended up cooking about a months worth of meals to freeze that day, & boy, oh boy, did those meals come in handy when my new baby arrived! She has children who are young adults, & I have watched the way she mothers them, her concern for them, her deep deep love for them, & I have learned so very much about motherhood by simply watching her relationships with her own children. I have witnessed her love for the Lord, & how even though she has faced so many trials, she hasn't wavered in her faith. Even when the knocks of life have beat at her, she has kept her eyes on the Lord & waited for His direction. I have learned a lot about faith by watching her faithfulness.

Well, recently at a time in my life when I needed it most, Deb nestled me right up under her wing once again. This time, she asked if we could start praying together. She explained the burden on her heart for my little family, & how she wanted God to protect Jared, Jett, & me & use us for His glory. But what Deb was clearly saying was that she loves me. That she wants the very best for my life as a wife, a mom, a friend, & daugther in Christ. My eyes immediately filled with tears when she asked me, because at that moment I could truly feel just how much I am loved by my dear friend. There are few friends out there that will sacrifice a little bit of their lives, so that they can bless someone elses life, & I am lucky to have one of them!

So every Thursday night at 10, we turn off the television, we close down facebook, we set aside the distractions in our lives & we take some time to go to the throne of Jesus Christ. We share our joys, our sorrows; our triumphs, our struggles. We pray for our children, & for our marriages. We pray about things in our daily lives, & things that are far far in the future. And when we hang up, I don't know about her, but I feel refreshed. I feel thankful. I feel blessed.

Sometimes, God comes to our side, comes as a friend, comes as a comforter through someone else. I believe He loves me through my friend, Deb. I believe that mine & Deb's hearts are knitted together for a specific reason, & that it isn't coincidence. I believe that God saw a need in my life, & is allowing Deb to be a tool to minister to my heart & life, & I hope I can be the same tool for her {or maybe for someone else one day}! I am so blessed to be loved by my Lord, & by my sweet friend!

So tonight at 10 o' clock when my phone rings, I will lay aside all the "stuff" of this day that doesn't matter, & spend some time with my prayer friend!

**Matthew 18:20- For where two or three are gathered together in my name, there am I in the midst of them.