thirtysomethings by Sarah Sargent
Take a moment and think about your friendships. Think about the people who make you laugh and those who challenge you to be a better person. What about the friends you can talk to about anything; the good, the bad, and even the ugly. Who are the friends you would do anything for? I’m sure one or two friends come to mind. Hold onto their faces. Over the last year God brought something to my attention numerous times in various forms. I saw on Instagram how much friendship meant to a woman suffering a miscarriage. I attended a funeral viewing where a woman traveled 1,000+ miles to sit beside her friend. God even used this picture of a dog and cat to challenge my heart. God made it so clear to me that this is something He wants us to do for each other. Sometimes the greatest way to show our faithfulness in friendships is to sit with each other in silence. Simply supporting each other with our presence. In our hardest moments, sometimes the greatest comfort can be to know we are not alone. Our friends, unfortunately, might find themselves in situations where we can’t possibly think of words to say to be an encouragement. I believe it is in those moments when God wants us to simply sit beside them. While Job’s friends aren’t typically classified as ideal friends, they managed to get this act of friendship spot on. When Job was unrecognizable because of his grief, they sat in silence with him for a week and simply ministered to him with their presence. Remember those faces you thought of at the beginning of the article the next time they are struggling. Pray and open your heart to see if God is asking you to minister to them with just your presence.
32 treasure
SPRING 2020
