Be a Friend
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THINK
"You can't stay in your corner of the Forest waiting for others to come to you. You have to go to them sometimes." -- Winnie-the-Pooh
When I was little, we moved a lot. I’m shy and softspoken and naturally inclined to watch and not to speak a whole lot. Those things make it hard to make friends quickly and to forge bonds before it was time to move again. My Dad told me that I should just approach people and say, “Hi, my name’s Elizabeth. Would you like to be my friend?”
Um. No.
He also told me that in every group there were people who felt like I did—people who were just as shy, just as unsure of themselves, and just as eager to make a friend. That was a little nugget of wisdom worth of carrying with me to seven different schools. It’s worth carrying today, forty years later. Because, everywhere, no matter the forest, there are people who need a friend. Want a friend? Be a friend.
PRAY
Jesus, you were such a good friend when you walked the earth. And you are the perfect friend today. You know me in my loneliest places. Show me the people who need my friendship. Teach me to be a friend.
ACT
Go up to someone, introduce yourself, and ask if they’d like to be your friend. Metaphorically speaking, of course;-).
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.
