Beyond Words

Yesterday I got an e-mail from a friend in distress. She wanted me to be aware of something going on in her life. She also mentioned that she would love to hear back from me regarding the situation, but after she had had an opportunity to spend some quiet time with the Lord herself.

I really appreciate her honesty and desire to hear God speak first into her situation.

For me, it was a display of who is her Source in her life. Sure, we all say, "God," but really, who do you and I go to first when we need some adivce, or when we need to talk?

It's so easy to pick up the phone and call a friend when life hurts or things for us are bad. It takes obedience and trust to go the Lord first. Maybe things wouldn't seem so bad if we would talk to the Lord first?

As women, we sometimes like to offer up advice so quickly when sometimes people just need for us to listen. I know I have often been convicted of doing that. One of my favorite quotes by Elisabeth Elliot is,

"Not everything has to be said, and not everything has to be said by me."

Boy, we sure feel like we need to say it all and that it needs to be said by us or people just won't "get it." How silly! We cannot play "Holy Spirit, Jr." for folk! I have learned I need to let the Holy Spirit do what He was designed to do, which was to minister and comfort believers. Sure, we are called to do that as well, but I want to be sure to allow the Holy Spirit room to do His thing first!

I'm studying Job right now and man, is it painful...and I'm only on chapter 2! At this point, he has already lost all of his possessions, his children, and has been struck with an illness from head to toe. His 3 friends come to console him, and upon approaching him, they did not even recognize him from the scars of his illness. Can you imagine? What would you say to your friend if that happened to him or her? Guess what his 3 friends said? Nothing.

"Then they sat down with him on the ground for seven days and seven nights, yet no one spoke a word to him, for they saw that his pain was very great."
Job 2:13

What a sad, but beautiful picture of freindship. Sometimes our silence is what we should offer our friends and loved ones in their time of pain, while the Holy Spirit ministers peace and comfort beyond words.