Minor Miracles

A few posts ago, I talked about my friend who just lost her dad. I wanted to share a story from that situation and what it meant to me.
I went to church with her only a couple of days after her dad had passed, and we attended the young adult class at her church (that used to be my church in high school). The two of us were the only people who attended the class that day, besides the teacher that neither of us had met before. He left the room to pick out the video for the lesson that day. My friend and I were just talking, and she mentioned that she didn't feel like she was doing a good job of grieving. She felt guilty because it hadn't really sunk in that her dad was gone. The teacher came back in and gave us two videos to choose from. They were lessons from the Nooma series (which are awesome). My friend read the summary on the back of one of the dvds and simply handed it to me without a word. It was a lesson on dealing with grief. The Sunday School teacher had never met my friend or me and didn't know that she was going through a loss. He just happened to pick that video out of 15 others (of course, we know it was God that guided his hand)! We watched the video, and the man in it said so many things that were amazing for Katie to hear. I'm paraphrasing, but he said "you may have lost someone two weeks ago or two days ago (her dad had died on Friday). You may be feeling sad, angry, or nothing at all. I'm here to tell you that whatever you're feeling, it's ok. God is going to be with you, and He's going to heal all of your hurts." We were so amazed at how God had given us that message, and it touched my friend deeply. She took the dvd home for her family to watch.
Before Chrysalis, I never really noticed God actively working in my life, but since I felt him in that weekend, I am seeing Him all over the place. It was incredible to feel the Joy of the Lord in the middle of that sad situation, and I consider it a minor miracle that He could bring comfort to my sweet friend in that time.

Make sure you watch out for God in the little moments of your life!

Sent from my phone! Yay!

I was praying "Lord, I need to get my life back on track." Then I realized, I don't have a track to get back upon! I'm trackless! I know I'm supposed to be serving Him, but I haven't started yet. Really, I have no idea how to start. It's like I'm waiting for something. I don't know what. I like change, but I don't like this transition period I'm in right now.

Sadness...

One of my very best friends called me this morning to tell me that her dad passed away of a heart attack last night. All I could think to say is I'm sorry and I'll be praying. What else can you say that will mean anything? When this same thing happened to another best friend a couple of years ago, I felt like I didn't know how to be a good friend in that situation. I don't know if I'm any better prepared to give comfort now than I was back then. In the face of incredible sadness, what can a friend do besides give as much love as possible?

Another thing that is bothering me about this is that I was awake praying around the time that my friend got the call from her mom. I know there isn't really any way I could have known, but I wish I had had some sort of hunch to pray specifically for the McGlawns. If I was talking to God already, couldn't he have put a thought in my head to pray for them? I don't know if it would have done any good, but it would have made me feel better. At least I can pray now.

During that time of prayer, I read Psalm 130. It seems to fit now.

Let all that I am praise the Lord;
with my whole heart, I will praise his holy name.
Let all that I am praise the Lord;
may I never forget the good things he does for me.
He forgives all my sins
and heals all my diseases.
He redeems me from death
and crowns me with love and tender mercies.
He fills my life with good things.
My youth is renewed like the eagle’s!