Often we feel as if we are going through this life all
alone. We keep our thoughts and feelings to ourselves, and sometimes the ache
of our sorrows is more than we can bear.
But it doesn’t have to be this way. We can lighten our load
by sharing our hearts with our sweet sisters in Christ.
I have been blessed with one sweet sister with whom I have shared
my entire life. Through marriage I’ve been blessed to gain sisters (in-law) as
well as nieces who have grown into wonderful Christian women and mothers. I am
so blessed to have these women in my life, to share our lives and our family stories .
Over the years, I have met some wonderful women whose hearts have
connected with mine, and through our shared loved of Christ, we have been bound
in His love. One such friend watched me as I was born again in the faith as a
young mother, and shared in my joy as I grew to know Jesus as my personal Savior.
I have had wonderful friends who have shared in my joys and
trials through the years as I've raised my sons. I have shared in their lives, too, as we’ve
tried to fulfill our roles as good wives and mothers, while raising
our children in the faith.
I don’t know how I would traverse this road of life without
my sweet sisters in Christ. At first, it was difficult for me to open up, to
share those innermost fears and weaknesses.
As I began to reach out to others, I realized that all of
us have trepidation as we struggle to find our way in this life. Occasionally we question our importance to other people, or doubt our abilities at parenting and motherhood.
When we share our troubles with a friend, we are released from carrying our burdens alone. When we open up about our difficulties, we may
find the issue is one our friend has recently dealt with, too. They can share
their experience, and perhaps work together for a solution to
cope with the problem.
By sharing our joys and our internal conflicts, out loud and
up close and personal, we test our faith by giving these dark thoughts to the light
of day. When we open up and let those deep-held secrets out, we begin to see
them as surmountable, and we are affirmed and challenged at the same time to
keep pushing forward in our desire to fight the good fight.
A wonderful blessing I have received through sharing my life
with others is the privilege of hearing their life stories, too. I am honored when
someone trusts me with sharing a problem that has been on their heart. By
opening up to share their trial or grief with me, our friendship grows in
mutual respect and trust.
It lifts my spirits to share in the joys of my friends, and I offer prayers of
gratitude for the happiness and peace they have found. And when a friend shares their heart with me about a difficult situation, I am honored to pray on their behalf for
God’s wisdom and guidance as they work through the problem.
Don’t be afraid to reach out to others, for your burden will be lightened and your heart warmed with the sincere love of a
caring friend. And in turn, you may be blessed to share in the lives of those
who are special to you.
As my circle of sisters grows, our friendships deepen, and
the love and trust we bestow on one another is shared even further. And through
that sharing, everyone grows.
The calmness of the open water
draws my eyes across its surface, and my spirit flies along with my gaze, from
shoreline to shoreline, across the rippled surface.
Unfortunately my memory doesn't work with the clarity I wish it would. Though I try to remember exactly how I felt at a particular time, my memory blurs around the edges and I can only hold onto a fragment of the actual experience. I will remember the emotion, and I can take a snapshot with my camera to remember the scene, but the moment itself is lost forever.
So it is with my moments with God. I soar high on the mountaintop experience, those times when I feel intimately connected to God's heart, and my own heart soars with immeasurable joy. I want to hold onto the moment, but these special moments in time are brief and impossible to grasp. In fact, the more we try to hold onto them, the more they slip away. 
Often we feel as if we are going through this life all
alone. We keep our thoughts and feelings to ourselves, and sometimes the ache
of our sorrows is more than we can bear.
I have had wonderful friends who have shared in my joys and
trials through the years as I've raised my sons. I have shared in their lives, too, as we’ve
tried to fulfill our roles as good wives and mothers, while raising
our children in the faith.
By sharing our joys and our internal conflicts, out loud and
up close and personal, we test our faith by giving these dark thoughts to the light
of day. When we open up and let those deep-held secrets out, we begin to see
them as surmountable, and we are affirmed and challenged at the same time to
keep pushing forward in our desire to fight the good fight.
