This morning I was praying over one of my dear and longest standing friendships. Her news this past week I truly dwelled on, because it reminded me of one of my favorite verses:
“Like cold water to a weary soul is good news from a distant land.” Proverbs 25:25
Sometimes when we are going through a very difficult season, we long for hope, for a good word. And her news that she shared was so wonderful and profound that it brought me to tears. When people struggle in their life or are walking through an extremely hard season, hearing them have good news always brings such joy to my soul. It makes our hearts tender and their souls renewed with our own. It reminds me of that verse that says, “Rejoice with those who rejoice; mourn with those who mourn.” Romans 12:15
After watching my dear friend walk through something so painful at the end of this year, it brought my soul such joy to hear that there was a sprig of hope in all her pain she had experienced. It gave me hope that since her story isn’t over yet amid all she has walked through with more grace than she truly even gives herself, that my story isn’t over yet either.
We need those moments where even in the physical distance or space, we are reminded that God still touches those who are in the body of Christ. That he never forsakes, he never leaves, that even in our sufferings, we are all reconciled with Christ in the body of believers and our friendships when rooted in Christ, are connected through the heavenly realm.
The reason I was dwelling on her news again this morning was because I felt that after so many years of watching her grow and being her friend in all the changes both our lives have undergone, it gave me a peace that surpassed all understanding. Her friendship and her light in the darkness is something that motivates me to keep pushing, keep going forward, keep leaning on God’s wisdom and not my own.
In a world where women struggle to be happy for others, to show up, to allow distance to breed discord, it pulled at the thread of love which can still exist between Godly women. That even in my own grief, her joyful moment bolstered my own joy almost to overflow. It’s true that “He anoints my head with oil, my cup overflows” (Psalm 23), and that is what it truly means to love God and love others. When our cups are overflowing, we pass some of it to others so they may also be refreshed (Proverbs 11:25). And that is exactly what her news did – bring refreshment to my weary soul.