Pray For One Another

dayspring~lisa leonard

Be strong and take courage,

all you who hope in the Lord.

Psalm 31:24 NRSV

I read something today that has left me thinking hard about "stuff". It was an email I received from someone who doesn't realize how much she has ministered to me the past several months. Through that email I discovered that she's been going through a difficult time. But I never would have guessed that from her blog. Especially during the time leading up to Christmas.

I have a book called "The 12 Ways of Christmas". It's written by David Jeremiah. This is what it says on the back cover of the book.

Every year, we strive to make this Christmas the best ever. Then we decorate and bake and shop, and end up wearing ourselves out - just like last year. And in the midst of our plans, we struggle to capture the essential purpose of the holiday. We forget that real Christmas joy begins in our hearts, in quiet moments of meditation and worship.

"The 12 Ways of Christmas....offers twelve truths of Christmas that often get buried under the busyness of parties and activities - things like wonder, giving, humility, and simplicity... With candor and wisdom, these reflections will help cultivate God's ways of Christmas in our own hearts, bringing us closer to the true sense of wonder and awe we long for during this very special time of the year."

Now back to the blog I mentioned ~ I bought the book because I hoped I'd find in it some answers to the longings her blog created in me...longings about Christmas, about family, about marriage, about life. Really! I saw this book and thought "oh my goodness"!

I knew it would address some of the things stirred up inside me by this wonderful woman's blog.

Oh dear, I'm afraid this post may not make as much sense as I'd like it to. I think what I'm trying to say is 1} I got a good dose of "real Christmas joy" from her blog; 2} It isn't always as it seems ~ as we make new friends in this wonderful place called blogland we need to remember to pray even if we don't see a specific need for prayer and; 3} As I mentioned in another post .... "there is nothing new under the sun...what's happening to me has happened to someone else...their experience can help me and mine in turn can help another." As we make those new friends we need to share. Not necessarily on our public blogs, maybe just through an email.

Either way...I truly believe the Lord leads us to one another. He puts women in our lives (even in blogland) who we need or who need us.

While my special blog friend was (unknowingly) ministering to me she was (and still is) going through a difficult time herself. I count it such a privilege to pray for her.

I'm so glad she shared with me.

Pray For One Another