Something Different

Blogworld, I miss you!!! So many hours in the tractor and the combine this last month… And we still aren't done! I'm very ready to get back to normal routine and my writing. Even though I don't have much time to write, I've got ideas coming out of my ears. Big plans for the blog and my ministry in the next year. Stay tuned!

I did squeak out some time in the past few weeks to write a guest post on a blog called Future Flying Saucers. I know - an unusual name! The story behind it is super cute you need to check it out. Blogger Anne does a great job relating to moms and has tons of homeschooling resources. But this fall she decided to do something outside of the mom-zone. Inspired by her love of Jane Eyre, she has gathered readers together around the theme of Victorian literature. I stumbled upon her concept and asked if I could get involved. It was a great opportunity to marry my love of literature analysis AND blogging! #nerdalert Also the perfect excuse to read a book I've had on my list for years – Tess of the D'urbervilles.

The book exceeded all my expectations and I loved writing about it too. Check it out HERE on Anne's blog and follow her series which features a different 19th Century novel each week up until Christmas. Indulge yourself with some fiction as the weather gets colder and our schedules get crazier. Maybe it will improve your sanity! ;)

Because The People You Love Are Not One-Size-Fits-All

Every night when I tuck the girls in, Clare gets a kiss on the lips and Sophie gets a kiss on the forehead. 

If I didn’t go through with this ritual, Clare would probably say something. She has gone out of her way to make sure it happens, so if I avoided it for some reason, I think she would probably call me out on it. If I didn’t go through the ritual with Sophie, I doubt she would say anything. But I can tell she values it as a part of the routine and would miss it if it were gone. 

Different kids need different things. 

Different kids respond differently too. Just because one expresses the way they feel about something, and one does not.. does not mean only one of them has an opinion. 

Sounds sensible, right?

But is it how we are treating the people around us? One size fits all is an easy approach, but I know for a fact it doesn’t work for my kiddos. 

Or my friends. Or my community.

My girls have different preferences in clothing. And food. And television shows. And free time. 

One processes things out loud with wit and clever conversation. 

The other internally considers her options and comes to conclusions without interaction.

One size does NOT fit all when it comes to their clothes or personalities or how they approach conflict. This goes for our neighbors too. It goes for all the people we are commanded to love in our lives. Your spouse. Your son. Your daughter. Best friends. Peers. Co-workers. Even your enemies. 

People are wired different. 

And so we have to approach them with compassion and patience and grace. 

When Clare wants to talk, she sits down and says “Mom, we need to talk.”

When Sophie wants to talk she just sits down in the vicinity… or starts lurking around waiting for whatever seems to be the appropriate time. If I wait for her to say, “Mom, we need to talk,” I might as well forget about it. 

Let’s remember that loving our neighbor means meeting people where they are. And bringing lots of grace and love along, no matter where we meet.

***********REALITY CHECK***************************

Hold up, hold up, hold up, people. Wait, wait.

Let’s be clear about something:

THIS IS REALLY TERRIBLY TOUGH. It’s serious. It’s heavy. Arduous. Toilsome. Burdensome! Backbreaking! I went to the thesaurus and looked up a bunch of words but mostly I just want to say this is SOOO HARD.

This thing where we really consider what others need, instead of just checking them off our to-do list…. it’s like one of the most unselfish things we can do.

Somedays it feels mostly impossible.

We are so prone to the-world-revolves-around-me. We are all about our OWN perspective and how MY way of doing things is… well, IS the best way. (bold) Not only that, but some people make it REALLY REALLY HARD to love them! They are SOOO difficult and cranky and just WEIRD and they don’t make any sense to us. Why do they have to BE that way? I’m so done with them. I’m not even going there.

I know.

I very much know.

When I was thinking about my girls the other day, though… I was thinking about how for them - how I love them so much and even though they are SUCH a challenge some days - I want to personalize my love for them. I want to seek out the best way for each of them so we can find a way to get along and I can maybe start to have a clue when Clare is losing it about how much she can’t stand her brother, and maybe I could head her off at the pass and meet her where she is so we can get that thing back on the road.

And then I got to thinking that I would love to be able to do that with my husband and my close friends and maybe even people I’m not super close with, but with whom I have to interact with regularly.

And that’s when I realized all of this is about love and grace and forgiveness and not looking inside at how I want things to be, but looking outside and figuring out where people are.

That if I care… if I value that relationship… that’s what I’m going to have to do sometimes. Or maybe all the time.

This is really the opposite of what our culture says. 

"If you don’t like this speed, you won’t like my other one.” 

"Accept me as I am, or out to the curb with you.” 

But God says My ways are not your ways. So if you want to keep that relationship around - if you want to cultivate that relationship - if you treasure it - you are going to have to treat it special. You’ll have to put something extra into it. 

Different people have different needs.

When we acknowledge that fact, it can make a difference in a relationship.

May nothing less than the audacity of the Holy Spirit empower us to love our neighbors.

Why Satan Works Like the Devil to Ruin Your Day

Picture day started off great. The girls were kindof excited, cause that’s what happens to girls on picture day, and they got up without too much hassle, got dressed and headed down for breakfast. I was still trying to nail-down what exactly I was going to do with Clare’s hair. We both had some ideas that had been discussed the night before. It involved braids and the Pinterest How-To didn’t look too bad, so I really DID think I could do it.

What the heck. I forgot my creativity goes no further than paper. Hair is NOT part of the package and I’ve known that forever. Why do I put myself in these situations?!
An hour later the girls had missed the bus, they were LATE for school, and I had been in tears most of the time, AND Clare’s hair looked nothing like we planned. In fact, after she got out of the van at school we took almost all of it out and I sent her into school with one braid and the rest of her hair looking like it usually does. I was SO mad. I was spitting fire and all kinds of other things I shouldn’t have been saying in front of my kids. All of it was about me being an idiot. So not only was Clare heading to class without a cute hairstyle, she was carrying all my baggage about how incompetent I am.

Not cool.

The day pretty much went downhill from there. See, I had just returned the day before from an awesome weekend in Minneapolis. And as inspiring and energizing as that had been, the first day back from a long weekend doesn’t go smoothly. I was playing catch-up and didn’t have a good plan and man I was crabby after the picture-day-fiasco.

I can’t even remember what additional incident I complained about to a good friend that afternoon when she wisely pointed out (as she often does), “Dude, It’s the Devil.”


Oh wow she was so right. The weekend had been SO amazing, Satan was working his tail off to get in my way and bring me down.

Some of you know mid-September brought the opportunity for me to do a workshop with one of my talented brothers, working with Team World Vision runners. Brother is stationed in Minneapolis as Twin Cities Area Team World Vision Events Director (except since then, he has been promoted to Team World Vision Manager of Operations! Woohoo!!). I headed up there for a weekend and we worked with a group of runners to help them tell their story. Brother and I have discovered on our journeys, this truth: life and its truths are not a series of bullet points, but are narratives with the power to make change. He saw the opportunity to share this with his runners and help them harness the power of their own stories, to help bring access to clean water to communities on the other side of the world.

Every single one of us has a story that we've lived, that's taking us to the next place. Knowing your story will help you better understand yourself, and I dare say, your Savior.

That weekend I had the rare opportunity to “chillax” (as 7-year-old Clare says) with my brother and sister and sweet nephew and niece. I was privileged to worship with a dear friend and Sister-in-Christ. I learned so much about myself as a presenter and even more about my own story. I met people who are sacrificing their own comfort for the sake of those suffering in another world - people they don’t know and will probably never meet. There was so much Truth to my weekend I could barely process it all.

Enter: Satan.

Oh, man, he was bound and determined to do everything he could to subtly get under my skin and make it so I put all of that fabulousness away. All that stuff about the Holy Spirit leading my words, and about sacrifice, and about people believing in each other as change-makers.


And he probably did do some damage. After all, a week later, harvest would begin. I would be swamped with duties of work and family, and writing would have to get in the back-seat, except tractors don’t even have a back-seat. I would find myself thinking that that my current usefulness ended when I walked off that plane. Put your ministry stuff away. You don’t have time for that right now and you don’t have anything to offer anyway.

He’s such a jerk.

The truth is, I am at peace with God and He has given me the work of helping others find peace with Him too. 

Therefore, if anyone is in Christ,
he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come!
All this is from God, who reconciled us to himself through Christ
and gave us the ministry of reconciliation;
that God was reconciling the world to himself in Christ,
not counting men’s sins against them.
And he has committed to us the message of reconciliation.
We are therefore God’s ambassadors,
as though God were making his appeal through us.
2 Corinthians 5:18,19

The truth is, our stories comfort. 

Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ,
the Father of compassion and the God of all comfort,
who comforts us in all our troubles,
so that we can comfort those in any trouble
with the comfort we ourselves have received from God.
For just as the sufferings of Christ
flow over into our lives,
so also through Christ
our comfort overflows.
2 Corinthians 1:3-5

The truth is, the Spirit works through us. 

But thanks be to God,
who always leads us in triumphal procession in Christ
and through us spreads everywhere
the fragrance of the knowledge of him.
2 Corinthians 2:14

The truth is, the devil is my enemy. He is tricky and a liar and loves to gain the upper-hand, even if just for a minute. His goal is for me to feel incompetent all of the time. His goal is for me to lean on myself instead of the story and person of Christ’s saving grace. 
Constant. Saving. Grace.

This time of year is always tough. But my story continues to develop anyway. No matter what spots I find myself in: not trusting, not following-through, not giving thanks... God’s strength is constant and faithful and not dependent on me AT ALL. And when I wake up the next morning and start over with his grace and mercy, my story will reflect that and be a comfort to someone else who needs to see how great His mercy is.


So take that, Satan.

How You Can Do Something About Depression

The tragedy of Robin Williams.  What kind of paradoxical phrase is that?  I’m so sad.  Even angry.  

But I'm not angry with him.

If you understand depression, would you explain it to someone today?  I mean, if you understand the hold it can have on people.  The irrationality it bathes people in.  If you have even the slightest grasp on how powerful a grip it can have on people… Would you please explain that to someone who doesn’t get it?
Because there are a lot of people who don’t understand.

photo credit: aguscr via photopin cc

There are a lot of people who have never considered how out-of-control depression feels.  It’s easier to look at manic behavior or the bad decisions a person makes.  It’s easier to compare your own feelings with theirs and roll your eyes.  Why can’t they just be happier?  Why can’t they see reality?

Ugh.  I wish it was that easy.  

If someone you care about has told you they suffer from depression, and you don’t really know what that means - take 5 minutes and look it up on webmd or mayoclinic.com. (I linked you up; just click on one of those.) It won’t take long.  Read some of the facts.  Find out what it means.  Educate yourself and then educate someone else. 

The only way we can help as a society is if we try to wrap our brains around how this works.  I feel like there could hope for healing if community steps up, around the people who face this daily, and walk with them looking for answers.  Could we at least have some more compassion and admit that we have a long way to go?  

I’m so sad about the loss of a great entertainer.  I’m sad for his family and his friends and everyone who saw what was happening and couldn’t do anything, because the grip was too tight. 

People, we have got to weaken that grip. Our country needs educated. You can do something.  

Attention: Moms Who Need Refreshed

This summer has been great and it's not over yet.  The weather has been amazing around here and my kids are more manageable at this age then they ever were before.  We have a few more weeks yet, but we can all feel the school year coming up on us... the inklings of a desire for a routine... something fidgeting inside us. 

August is almost here, it whispers.  

August might mean different things for all of us, but the end of summer is pretty much synonymous with people getting back into the swing of things.  Community awaits - whether it be school starting, everyone back in the office, or the pews at church being a little fuller again.  By the time we hit September, ready or not, life is on full speed again.  

Moms of school-age kids are usually about ready for some routine again and moms of the preschoolers can often feel it too.  The sun is up for so long it's hard to get kiddos to turn in.  So many special events, schedules are tough to stick by.  And where is everyone?!  Extroverts with babies might be dying for a scheduled moms group. Lots of advice on being a mom at the family reunion, but that's not really what new moms are yearning for.  

Just smile and nod, boys.

August is almost here.
There it is again. I can hear it getting louder as the minutes tick by.   

If you or someone you know is planning a year of mom-fellowship, hot of the press is my pitch to speak to your group! ;)  I'd love to be considered and would be honored to join you!  

* * * * *

This school year..

when you finally get the chance

to gather together w/ a

community of fellow moms…

who make you feel less crazy,

and like your not-so-perfect life

is exactly where you’re supposed to be…

...I’d love to join you!  

* 2014/2015 presentations *

Godspeed, Mama!

4 surprising things every mom needs 

that will transform her 

perspective and her relationships,

bringing her closer to God

...and sanity.

When Your House Falls Down

My house literally fell down!!

I’d love to tell you this ridiculous story and

the 3 ways we can cope when

our plans are falling down around us.  

* Contact me for scheduling *

angiejean.99@gmail.com or 309-825-1321

See you there!

angie wagner

writer/speaker/mom

* * * * *

Secretly, It's Your Favorite Thing

She reached for her phone in the dark.  It was because she was looking for a connection. Tired of feeling alone and disconnected in her own house, she sought out like-minds online. She knew she could find someone to relate with, some kindred spirit, if only in a Pinterest meme. 

The power of "community" has been on my mind. I might be late to this party, but I’m learning regardless of which generation or what region of the world is in question - the value of community resonates with all of us. 

My husband is an introvert and I am an extrovert.  My daughter can’t stand the idea of standing up in front of a group of people, all eyes on her, but my son will dance in the spotlight all night long.  Despite the vast differences in the ways we connect or relate to one another, we still seek to be understood and valued by others - even if it’s just a few close friends. 

The older I get, the pickier I am about my community.  Some days I DON’T want to be surrounded by friends or spend all day on the phone.  However, I still want a connection.  I still want to play a role.  I still want to feel like I belong to a larger group. 

It is community that taught me the truth about being a mom.  The truth that I’m not the only one who has really tough days, lonely days, or frustrating days.  The truth that marriage is infinitely harder than we expected.  Or that we all carry far more self-doubt (and other heavy baggage) than we let on.

Community has also taught me good truths like being able to share our fears and dreams with other women who won’t judge.  Good truth like the power of prayer.  Or that we can laugh together about the hard days and then they don’t seem so heavy.

Community taught me these things.  Community holds me together when I’m falling apart.  It’s a secret I discovered and I want to share it with other women in my ministry. 

In fact, I want my ministry to my family to reflect the value of community too!  My #1 ministry is as the mom in a family structure, and almost more than anything I want our little 5 person unit to recognize the value of connection with each other.  Of community with each other.

The icing on the cake for all these relationships is for Jesus to be in the midst of them.  When HE is present with two or more, hearts and lives can be changed.  I get all pumped up just thinking about how I’ve seen Him work thru friendships, marriages, and acquaintances.

And as I ponder all these things, something even bigger hits me like a brick in the head.  God is ALL about community.  His laws, His son, His never-ending promises - they all reflect RELATIONSHIP with Him and with each other. 

Respecting others,

taking time for Him,

sacrifice for your neighbor,

prayer,

forgiveness

…love. 

He set up His church around community.  Our daily spiritual barometer is a reflection of us being in community with Him. 

It all makes sense when we see our desire for community is no accident.  We are made to crave it.  With Him.  With others.  It’s part of us.  And recognizing this can help us better understand our sometimes crazy behavior.  Our pain and our disappointment.  Our desires and our yearnings.  

The take-aways are endless, so I won’t say much more.  Do with this information what you will.  For me realizing the importance of “community” to my God, helps me see His desires for me in a new way, in a bigger way, that reflects the Kingdom more than I ever understood before.  I’m excited to go forward with this concept in mind, allowing it to trickle into the cracks of daily life growing forgiveness and focus in the lonely spots which once were bare.

Do you tend to embrace community or resist it?  

Life Is Messy and Chaotic. For Everyone. I Promise.

Life is messy and chaotic.  For everyone. 

I didn’t know.  So many women appear to have it together.  Even today I sometimes get caught up thinking how clearly perfect someone else’s life must be.  There she is, with her well-dressed kids and her PTL officer face on, and her high dollar purse.  Clearly she is organized and efficient.  Obviously she fed her kids before this meeting.  No question she got a kiss from her husband before she left.  Her bills are paid, her house is clean, and she loves her job.  Grumble, grumble.  I sit down and feel tiny and flawed.

TIME OUT! A few years ago Jill Savage put it quite nicely.  “Don’t compare someone else’s outsides to your insides!”  This is Truth, Mama.  When we sit down and start being authentic with each other, we find out everyone has their issues.  Everyone has a chaotic, mess somewhere in their life they are dealing with (or currently choosing to ignore).  

It wasn’t until after a community of women opened up and were authentic with me, that I learned these things.  It wasn’t until after I had spent plenty of time feeling alone and like I had to figure out my messes all by myself.  It wasn’t until after I was pretty sure I had won the annual title of Stressed-Out-Mom-Failure of the Year, that I began to learn: I am not the only one. 

Here’s a tip: It’s ok to need other people and community.  We don’t have to do this alone.  Scripture highly recommends we avoid going-it solo.  

"Two are better than one, because they have a good return for their work: If one falls down, his friend can help him up.  But pity the man who falls and has no one to help him up!  Also if two lie down together, they will keep warm.  But how can one keep warm alone?  Though one may be overpowered, two can defend themselves.  A cord of three strands is not quickly broken." Ecclesiastes 4:9-10

I have a really good friend who, when I am really frustrated with a wrong turn or a plan gone bad - she will remind me, “Hey.  It's the devil." 

Though one may be overpowered, two can defend themselves.  

When the devil is breathing down your neck, telling you you are a failure

or that you will never get out of the hole you've dug

or that your marriage is doomed.... You need a friend who can say to you - Hey. That's the devil talking.  Let's see what Jesus says about that.  

Instead of worrying so much about how impossible it is to be vulnerable with others, take a risk and consider all that you can gain from authenticity.  If you are feeling strong today, girl, lift someone else up.  If you have fallen down, ask for a hand.  Two is so much better than one.  

What Is Home Building?

When our house fell down - YES OUR HOUSE FELL DOWN! - I started a blog called Home Building.  Building the house was a big part of our lives at the time and I wanted to bring others on the journey.  But really even bigger than the house that was being built, was the process of me learning to be an intentional mom who was building a home for her family.  

Around that time, I was resisting domestication - a girl raised up in the 80's surrounded by strong women who were bound and determined to inspire big dreams.  The women in my family knew that their girls had something to offer the world, and they were proud of the voice that women were finding.  

My family is amazing and I love the legacy of passionate pursuit they inspired in us.  But between that and the influence of the rest of the world, I was quite sure that I was supposed to be doing EVERYTHING and that I was FAILING miserably.  When I finally decided staying-at-home for my kiddos during this season of life made more sense than torturing all of us, the results were part relief and part shame.  

Home Building (the blog) became a parallel process whereby I would find a way to accept this new "career," not lose my mind, and maybe even find community in the process. All those things happened and now I truly know the meaning of Home Building. Am I finished? No way. Have I made progress? Oh yes. [And btw, Progress, not Perfection, is the name of the game around here. Or at least I strive for it to be.] 

Home building is something that most of us want to do. We want to build a home with our spouse and/or kids or extended family.  A home that exudes comfort and safety and love. I'm not talking about fabulous plush pillows and the perfect paint color. I'm talking about forgiveness and listening and not being as selfish as I'm prone to be. (Yes, this is mostly about me and you're along for the ride.) 

Actually, as it turns out, it's mostly about God. Come to find out, my job as a home builder - a.k.a wife, mom, family member - is really all about Him and what He is doing in me, and how He can make miracles happen. Like when my 7 year old refuses to do her homework for over 2 hours and I DON'T strangle anyone. (I know. It was an all-around delight.) You KNOW it's a miracle that the __of you can live in this house in relative peace, so don't pretend like it's not.  

Home Building means building up your

• spouse
• kids
• intimacy with Christ
• home to be one of safety and security for those who live there
• kids' faith foundation
• wisdom
• confidence
• peers

I'm not here to give you a list of things to do.  Turns out these are things most of us already have on our lists, and they can be done while we are already interacting with these people.  I want Home Building to be a place where we can find encouragement and perspective as we try, fail, and try again.  

You'll find lots of grace and scripture here.  You'll find authenticity.  You'll find out that God uses imperfect women to build homes that nurture faith and love and forgiveness.  Thanks for joining us.  Tell your friends and lets encourage each other to build our homes on forgiveness and love, wisdom and understanding. 

"By wisdom a house is built, and by understanding it is established." 

Proverbs 24:3

Semantics: Using My Words for Good

I love words.  I love how useful they are and how sometimes I can use them to get my way.  Hehehehe-maniacal-laugh!

Just kidding.

Words are pretty useful.  They can be tricky and powerful and sometimes downright scary.  Today I realized that with just the twist of a phrase, I can go from sounding like a kind, compassionate person to sounding like a total jerk.

Picture it:  You and some friends are standing in the parking lot after school chatting for a few minutes before taking your kids home.  One of the women recently twisted her ankle while taking her kids for a walk, so she stands there with the aid of the crutches she pulled out of the attic.  Someone walks up and says, "Hey, What did you do to your ankle?!"  

photo credit: Graham Ballantyne via photopin cc

Oh, yes, a familiar scene.  And usually the "victim" feels like she has to explain herself, accounting for whatever clumsiness exists in her gene-pool.  There is an embarrassment factor here that exists and it's unfortunate.  Don't we feel dumb often enough already?

I'm not trying to be Sensitive-Sally here.  I don't want you to start over-analyzing everything people say to you.  Most of the things we say are meant as harmless attempts to communicate.  On the other hand, I am a fan of using our words for good.  So what if we twisted this question just a little?  What if instead, the newcomer walks up and says, "What happened to your ankle?"
Not "What did YOU do to your ankle..."
Just - "What happened?"

This morning at work my dad and I were moving gates around, and all the sudden he was holding his thumb and making that "Oh crap" face.  So I said, "What did you do to your thumb?"  There was a tone that came out with that question indicating maybe somehow he could have avoided this injury.  Like I might as well have added, "...Loser."  But at the time, I didn't even know what had happened.  So why does my question come out implicating him in the misfortune?

What tone do I set when I talk to my kids and my husband?  Do I hand-out guilt when I talk to people about their hardships?

It's probably easier for all of us when we feel that there is someone to blame when bad things happen.  I think we have a tendency to want to find a very direct reason for mishaps - big ones and little ones.  But often times things just happen and we can't explain it and it's not necessary to make someone feel that their current circumstances were avoidable if they had just ________.

I gave up guilt for Lent.  It was great.  Turns out God is not interested in me carrying around and wallowing in the guilt that he already paid for.  Treating myself with more compassion and kindness has been nice.  Thinking maybe I'll be more intentional about speaking to others with compassion too.  'Cause words can be pretty powerful.  And I'd like to use them for good.  Want to join me?

I'm Blaming Hearts-at-Home

10 years ago was my first Hearts at Home Conference.  My good friend Leslii insisted I go.  Sophie was only a few months old.  I was swamped with work and being a new mom and the weight of the world was heavy.  Heavier than I even realized.  

That day revealed things to me that no one had ever told me before.  The things I learned from Jill Savage and other presenters that year and in the years that followed have stayed with me and help to shape the Mom, Wife, and Believer I am everyday.  

Here are 5 TRUTHS I have learned at Hearts that resonate with me daily.  

1. I am not the only Mom who feels this way. (Whatever way I'm feeling today. Not the only one!)

2. For the sake of me and my family, I want to live a life with MARGINS. 

3. God doesn’t expect us to know how to parent.  He expects us to ask him.  Constantly. 

4. Professional Development for Moms is an investment in my kids, my marriage and my walk with Christ.  I can learn from others.  I need to learn from others.  Here’s something crazy: I might be able to help someone too.  

5. There is no such thing as “just a mom.”  God put me right here, in this family, with these kids and this husband - for a reason.  Embrace it.  It’s a ministry. 

Moms, I highly recommend a mom conference.  This one is affordable and honest and loving.  But if you can’t tear yourself away from your house, I encourage you to find a mom community.  Online, with a church, at a park, through Twitter - whatever.  Finding out you are not alone in your worries, your guilt, your frustrations - embracing community - will help you be a better mom.  It’s a crazy job.  It’s a challenging ministry.  It’s where God wants you.  

Own it.

Do you have a Mom Community that has revealed Truths to you? Tell us about it!

Prayer: Whether You Like It Or Not

I could feel their prayers.  In my chest.  In my heart and my soul and my strength.  It filled me up.  

I was surprised. 

I shouldn’t have been.  I’ve been a believer in the power of prayer for a long time.  An advocate, a pray-er, one who seeks to seek Him.  

photo credit: Pink Sherbet Photography via photopin cc

But there is a difference between believing and feeling.  There is a difference in being on the sending end and being on the receiving end. 

I was receiving. 

We had been under a lot of stress.  People knew that it was a moment that could pull people apart, or bring people together.  So they were praying.  And we could tell.  We saw the power of the Holy Spirit work in people at that meeting.  We could feel the movement of the angels and the defeat of Fear.  It was powerful. 

So when I felt the ground slipping out from under me a few weeks later, I knew I had to ask.  

It didn’t matter that I was vulnerable.  It didn’t matter that I was hurting.  

I would be directly disobeying my Savior if I didn’t ask.  I had been moved too much then, to ignore it now. 

So I asked. 

And the friends I asked were more than willing.  They were ready with loving words, a hand if I wanted it, and a quiet prayer when I couldn’t look them in the eye.  

They were ready. 

Somedays we feel like we aren’t ready for that job.  

“That’s not really my gift, Lord.  I’m more of the speaking type.  I’m more of the take-a-meal type.  Prayer isn’t really my strength.”

But then our friends need us.  And we have no choice but to step up, because love draws us in.  Love moves our hearts to pray.  Love yearns for answers for the people we care for so deeply.  Love begs for solutions and healing.  And as the crisis passes, we find ourselves better.  Better off for having been on our knees for someone else.  Better at asking.  Better at listening.  Better off.

O Lord, I call upon you; hasten to me!

Give ear to my voice when I call to you!

Let my prayer be counted as incense before you,

and the lifting up of my hands as the evening sacrifice!  

Psalm 141:1-2

Today before we left, my friend said, matter of fact, “We’re going to pray now.”  It caught me off guard.  I knew we had covered some deep stuff, but... I just didn’t expect it.  So we did.  The prayer covered us with the love of friends who speak honestly to God about frustration and need.  Who pray desperately for answers for ourselves and those who are hurting.  She prayed over us with the loving words of a sister-in-Christ.  And when she prayed for God’s arms to wrap around us, we could feel the arms of each other holding us close.   

Has the act of praying for someone else, been a blessing to you?
How do we become more persistent pray-ers?