one of my friends is considering making a big life change, again. she's made this same big change before and it didn't work out so great. almost a year later and more mature, she's going to try again. i told her, "i'll be praying for you," and i meant it. her reply stopped me in my tracks. "well, i hope it works this time."
silence.
did she mean she hopes the big change works this time? or did she mean she hopes my prayers work this time? does it matter? how much faith does she really have? these thoughts raced through my mind as she changed the subject on the other end of the line. something light-hearted, where my 'uh-huhs' and 'yeahs' were good enough.
God has a plan for you, i wanted to say. He laughs at your plans, i thought. there is a reason it didn't work out the first time. trust God! i wanted to shout.
silence.
"i hope it works this time" is an empty place to be. it's easy for me to say "i'll pray for you," but deep down i know she needed to hear the stuff that isn't easy to say. it isn't easy because it takes so. much. faith. it takes a strong encourager.
another conversation with another friend put me in the very same place. "i'm scared," she said. "i just know it's a hopeless situation," she said. and, "it's gotta be rough."
but where is her faith? where is God? and just as i think those very questions to myself, God asks me a harder one: but where is her encourager?
we finish our conversations. i hang up the phone, we go on about our day. i am left shaking my head. ashamed of myself, disappointed for not being the strong encourager that i want to be. and i pray.
God wants me to show faith to my friends through encouragement based on His promises. there is a reason i had those two conversations with those two friends. it's up to me to be a faith-filled encourager! i pray that i take this roll God has given me and i run with it. i pray that i take it seriously that i've been called to encourage.
what roll has God given you? how do you run with it?
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knowing your calling and responding to it is a Finer Thing. don't take your God-given roll for granted! linked up with love at AmysFinerThings.com Finer Things Friday.
