Be Quarters

"Make prayer both your lifeline and your lifestyle."

Out of the two of us, me and Sweet Daddy, I'm the "messy" parent. So far today, I've made slime, had a kool aid and baking soda explosion on my driveway, watched as Peanut then used her squirt bottle to drench herself, painted the driveway with sidewalk chalk, and had a baking mess with one 3 year old and chocolate chip muffins. I embrace rain, sand, mud, paint, colored spaghetti.

Life is messy. 

It's in the mess, that you discover things about yourself. 

One of the messiest parts of life are relationships. 

I think until you walk a trial, it's tough to know how to support someone who is. If we were honest with ourselves, I think most of us are decent at the "quick trials." We can bring you a meal when you have a new baby, we can show up the visitation of your deceased loved one, we can send a nice card once you make your first appearance on the prayer list.

But then over time, it's where the hundreds of pennies of friends become the four quarters that are still around. And sometimes, you're blessed that you get a new quarter through your journey. 

Sometimes it's because you're carrying your own heavy load and don't have room to help someone else carry theirs. Sometimes it's because you're so busy treading water with your own people, then you are already taking on too much water. You're drowning. 

But often, I think it's because we aren't empathetic that sometimes people need to hunker down and tote their own load. We don't know how to respond to turned down invitations, lapses in time between phone calls, or the change in friendship norms. In THEIR trial, we think about how WE feel. Our feelings are hurt. 

Hebrews 10:24-25 New International Version (NIV)

24 And let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds, 25 not giving up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but encouraging one another—and all the more as you see the Day approaching.

We are called to encourage one another. 

Relationships are messy. We are called to crawl into the mess with our friends. Sit in their closets with them. 

We are not called to judge how their walk their journey. 

We are called to be a quarter in the world of friendships. 

Mama Warriors, let us be quarters. I'm thankful for my quarters. I'm thankful for the new quarters God has given me through this journey. Those who walk the gastro madness, who support and encourage me. Those who walk the wee ones who won't sleep madness and encourage me. And those who don't walk either, but know what it's like to walk something for a LONG time - and who hang in there with me. Who respect my radius. Who understand my limitations. Who support me anyway. 

We're lucky to be given "people" who love us well.

Let us be people who love others well. Let us be quarters.