Don't Face Trouble Alone

THINK

"But it does not seem that I can trust anyone,' said Frodo.

Sam looked at him unhappily. 'It all depends on what you want,' put in Merry. 'You can trust us to stick with you through thick and thin--to the bitter end. And you can trust us to keep any secret of yours--closer than you keep it yourself. But you cannot trust us to let you face trouble alone, and go off without a word. We are your friends, Frodo." --J.R.R. Tolkein, The Fellowship of the Ring 

Trust. Friendship is founded in trust. Can I trust you to hear my heart? Can I trust you to love me anyway? Will you really, truly be my friend?

PRAY

Thank you for the gift of friends. Help me to meet my friends where they are and to love them as I want to be loved. Jesus, let me be a better friend.

ACT

Call a friend today. Don’t text her—call. Better yet, if you can, meet her for a face-to-face, honest to goodness, real live chat. Soak it in. Be fully present. And thank God for the gift of friendship.

Motherhood can feel like the loneliest vocation in the world. Surrounded by children, who frequently bring us to our knees, both literally and figuratively, we can be overwhelmed by isolation. Mothers need community. We can be community for one another.We can encourage on another and hold each other accountable. If you like these short devotions, please share the image and send another woman here. And when you're here, please take a moment to pray with another mother who is visiting. Leave a comment and when you do, pray for the woman whose comment is just above yours. Just a moment--blessed--will begin to build community.

I like to pray when I run in the morning. Often, I listen to Divine Office and pray Morning Prayer or the Office of Readings. Then, I just take up a conversation with God. I'd love to pray for you! Please leave your prayer requests below and we can pray for each other, no matter how we spend our morning prayer time. Meet me back here tomorrow and I'll share the ponderings from my #morningrun.