Good morning…
The scheduled speaker reached out to me, asking if I would be a part of Tuesday’s Lovett Moms in Prayer gathering, a group Julie Harlan had helped to facilitate weekly since her oldest son was in kindergarten. She emailed: “It should be a morning of celebrating our sweet Julie with prayer and you were so close to her. Some of our Lovett mothers may be asking “Why?” Your presence with wise counsel would be such a blessing.”
My eyes read and reread the invitation. “Celebrate our sweet Julie with prayer.” “You were so close to her.” “Mothers may be asking ‘Why?’ “Your presence.” “Wise counsel.” “Blessing.”
Honestly, my resistance reeled. But I usually pray deeply alone. Our friendship was very close, but it was also very personal. What if I am also asking “Why?” My presence with wise counsel? Could I really be a blessing? Gaining inner courage, my fingers stepped over my uncertain questions, “I would be honored to be a part of this special morning.”
I was to talk for about five minutes, sharing scriptures, a story about Julie, or an inspirational thought. That morning God woke me earlier than usual, around 1:00 am, and, after marinating in scripture, I went to my computer to prayerfully “download” God’s divine words. Before working on my message, I opened an email from a friend. “You are in my prayers. I know you will do a wonderful job leading the prayer group. Grievers need to be heard, to share their stories and their feelings. Listen with your heart, as I know you do.”
Her words flipped a switch in me. “Grievers need to be heard, to share their stories and their feelings. Listen with your heart.”
This group of about fifty grieving moms did not need my “patch it up neatly” scriptures, my personal Julie-story, or my inspirational thought. They needed to be heard. They needed to share their stories. They needed to express their feelings. They needed my listening heart. In that moment God sparked in me a sacred shift, from “teacher” to “listener” and from that shift all blessings flowed.
I slept but my heart was awake. “Listen!” (Song of Songs 5:2a, NIV).
…Sue…
