She Gave Me A Gift Too

“The glory of friendship is not the outstretched hand, not the kindly smile, nor the joy of companionship; it is the spiritual inspi- ration that comes to one when you discover that gsomeone else believes in you and is willing to trust you with a friendship.”

Ralph Waldo Emerson

Yesterday, I was able to give my dearest friend a very special , and a very belated Christmas gift, a t-shirt I had made for her with a picture of her Mother in the front, and the following quote in the back “Mom, you are the most beautiful memory I kept locked inside my heart.” I knew their would be tears because it was such a special gift, but what I didn’t expect was the gift of insight. The conversation slipped from the gift to prayer, as we visited for awhile. But she ended up giving me something too as we talked, and she said “You must feel the weight of every prayer.” It was a validation of sorts, not that I needed validation, but it was good to have someone acknowledge what I had been saying, there is a weight carried, when you have people reach out to you in the worst of times.

I never want to discourage anyone from reaching out to me for prayer of course. I want to pray for those who are hurting, who are lost and grieving, but my dear friend was right, there is a weight to every prayer. The family who just lost their only child, the friend whose batling health issues, the friend whose grieving, an unexpected surgery, a life changing diagnosis, the financial struggles, theres a weight to those too, but I get to celebrate each victory, help others through their grief.

True prayer is measured by weight, not by length. A single groan before God may have more fullness of prayer in it than a fine oration of great length.”C. H. Spurgeon.

But there is something beautiful about being able to lift others up in prayer, for one thing I get to see the growth, the answered prayers, I get to celebrate the victories, and I get to ease a burden, if only in this small way. Though I do not believe prayer is a small thing, prayer is a very large thing.

Being able to pray for others, because as hard as it can be, as someone who can feel the weight of the burdens, it is a gift, a gift that has opened up a closer relationship with Christ, and it has allowed me to get to know those I am close to better, but there are times I need to just allow myself the grace to give myself a little space.

As we sat there talking, about the young mans parents, and the pain and grief, they must have went through, I looked at her and said “No one understands unless, they have been through it, and she humbly reminded me that no she did not understand, only God did. She had not wanted to make light of their grief or in anyone compare it to her own. And she was right, the only one who can truly understand that kind of grief is God, because he had sacrificed a piece of himself so that we may live.

Philippians 4:6–7 NIV

Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. [7] And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.

He hears our prayers, even the ones we cannot put into words, thats when he sends people into our lives who can utter those prayers for us, who can step in when we are absolutely drained. He knows what we cannot say, he leads others to pray even when we cannot express ourselves.

The past couple of weeks with fires burning on the other side of the state, I have felt the weight, the weight of loss, and destruction, and closer to home I have felt the weight of a friends navigating through grief, trying to find that new normal, and friends dealing with health problems, as they try to go on with life as normal. I’ve prayed over broken hearts, and hearts that have been broken. I have comforted through tears and when the time is necessary, I have just listened. And on the rare ocassion, I have found myself wondering whose been praying for me, only to be reminded time and time again, I have a small but mighty army of friends who stand in the stead for me.

Copyright Michelle R Kidwell

Janury.17.2025