For the Love of a (Dear) Friend

I have this extraordinary friend. Like really amazing. She is unlike any other person that has entered my life and I know God placed her on my path just when I needed her most. She has been a guiding light of the person I want to be. To say her heart is made of gold is a gross understatement. She is a giver and humble beyond words. Her weakness lies in her inability to see what courageous strength she has within. Not only does she stand strong and persevere through life’s challenges, she does so with a beautiful light of vulnerability, something so rare in our society. She owns her shame story and embraces the power of connection. It never fails that the two of us will turn a quick lunch into a three hour heart to heart sharing secrets, struggles, hope, tears and laughter.

On Thursday, we were deep into our daily chat about neon signs from God. Little did we know, she would get hers in the form of a tragic accident. Friday evening she received a call no wife wants to ever get. Her husband had been in a serious car accident and was in ICU nearly three hours away.

It is no secret we hurt when our friends hurt and my heart is simply broken. And like most of life’s toughest situations, there isn’t a ‘How To’ book on how to handle these horrible times. It is a sad reality that there aren’t enough flowers or food (casseroles in particular for this dear friend) in the world to ‘fix’ this. The answer is simple: prayers, thoughts and love. It is simply ‘showing up’ in those seemingly insignificant ways. But that does not make the pain in my heart go away. That does not dry my distant tears or ache to be next to her.

So here is my prayer for you, my dearest friend:

May God give you the strength to shed those painful tears

May He give you peace in your heart knowing there is a path for you

May you find comfort in cuddles from your three C’s

May you give your body permission to rest

May you find solace in a simple hand squeeze

May you know you in your heart and feel in your soul that you are brave, you are strong, you are loved.

Sending my love today and always, dear friend.

And to my many readers who believe in the power of prayer, please lift one up for my dearest friend and her family.

 

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