God-whispers
By Susan Murray, Session Elder
“He comforts us in all our troubles so that we can comfort others. When they are troubled, we will be able to give them the same comfort God has given.” (2 Corinthians 1:4)
I start each day with a prayer asking to follow Jesus wherever He leads me; to have the wisdom to trust Him with major life events, as well as the small, everyday things.
But something as simple as reaching out and letting people know I am thinking about them and would like to pray for them makes me feel anxious and worried that the communication might not be welcomed. My brain will come up with excuses: They are busy. I am interrupting. They won’t remember me. I am intruding.
Several weeks ago a former colleague came to mind, without a specific trigger. It was a strong thought of wondering how she was doing. I called a mutual friend and asked for her contact information. He said, “I guess you heard that Michele has cancer in the lining of her brain, and she is about to have surgery.”
Oh my. I got her contact information and still went through my usual excuses in my head. Then I realized that God had whispered her name to me. So I reached out to Michele and heard back almost immediately. We texted before and after her surgery and at intervals since then. It was an automatic reconnection after 12 years. I gained as much, if not more, feelings of grace from our conversations. I was able to catch up and let her know that I cared.
I am so grateful for the “God-whisper”! What if I had let my feelings of being anxious stop my reaching out to my friend and letting her know I am thinking of her?
These days I find myself asking for more God-whispers. I wonder what the Lord will say next.
Prayer: Dear Father, I have experienced the joy of receiving comfort, understanding, and a listening presence from You when I needed it. Thank You, Lord. May each of us experience comfort and step out in faith to give comfort to others. I ask this in Jesus name, Amen.
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