We all have those times when we show up at the restaurant
and soon realize that this is not only about meeting a friend for lunch but a
divine appointment instead. That’s how I
felt recently when I had lunch with Cathy.
During lunch, Cathy asked me “What’s been going on in your
church over the summer?” That question
opened the door to an avenue of hope. I eagerly
shared the mid-week series about Prayer Circles taken from author Mark
Batterson, and how the sanctuary was filled with round tables where we gathered
in circles to study about praying for our families, our church, our community
and our nation. Then we actually roamed
the church grounds with our “circles” and prayed.
I’d been praying for Cathy long before my calendar listed
our lunch. Cathy is worried these days about
her daughter. I mentioned the
book I just read: Praying Circles Around
Your Children. I liked the clever way
the author taught about finding a verse in God’s Word that targets the
situation and praying that promise from God for our kids. I liked reading about the creative parents
who hung decorated plaques in their children’s bedrooms with their names on
them followed by their meaning, calling forth those things in their little
lives. I thought about how cute that
would have looked in my home when “Beloved” and “Strength” were growing up!
Imagine us, two moms, having lunch and knowing how the
other one feels. We reminded ourselves that
God really cares about the details of our children’s lives. He cares about her daughter’s illness and my
daughter’s upcoming custody battle with the hassle of lawyers and mediation
preparation for court again. We were
set up by God for that lunch and His powerful presence lifted and united us. When we hugged goodbye, Cathy asked me to
send her my book. Now I can’t wait for
our next lunch date. Hopefully, we’ll
have praise reports to share! Until
then, we’re praying circles around our children.
Amen my friend, keep praying .
ReplyDeleteI love it when yowl arrive for a date with a friend only to find out that it is a "God thing"......I love that your church is praying in circles for your families....If prayer is not at the heart of all we do, we can count on it not to work....
ReplyDeleteI love your spirit..
I am sure it was a divine God planned get together....I love when I get to experience it, You just know. :) . The prayer circle sound interesting and very informative to a prayer life. Keep us updated on the praise reports. :)
ReplyDeleteThat's what we must all do...is to pray for our loved ones but also especially our children. What a beautiful time that must be between the two of you, planned ahead by our good Father up above. God bless you sister.
ReplyDeleteSometimes my prayers are so desperate, I feel like I'm praying *spheres* around them!! I think God would understand!
ReplyDeleteGOD BLESS!
I loved this post. it was uplifting to see how God orchestrated the meeting with your friend. I have read about "Circle Prayers" too and it's a great book to get us thinking about and doing more praying. I didn't know about your daughters's custody battle but I will be praying for her. And the circles keep on going.and going.
ReplyDeleteThanks for the reminder to "pray circles" around my girls. Sorry to hear about the stress with your family... May God bring about beautiful redemption to your family.
ReplyDeleteGod appointments. Love when that happens. And prayer circles...great idea. Happy Sonday. Hope it's a good one.
ReplyDeleteI love those divine appointments. And I'm almost finished with the Prayer Circles book too.
ReplyDeleteBlessings and love,
Debbie