Heart and soul…or Bring me a Friend, Lord!
There was a verse that came up in my Bible study this week, an Old Testament battle story, filled with faithfulness and friendship. The author really wanted me to get a specific idea from the Scripture passage – trust and listen, God intervenes. It’s a good message and completely Biblical. However, it’s not the one I heard.
The whole time I was reading the passage, one verse from it played like a loop in my mind:
Do all that you have in mind,” his armor-bearer said. “Go ahead; I am with you heart and soul.”
1 Samuel 14:7
In my heart an old longing sat, calling out to God….
“I just want a friend. One single friend.”
This is what we all want, isn’t it? I mean, all of us on this round planet, searching for someone to understand us and love us “heart and soul.” This isn’t a romantic verse. It’s a verse about going into the thick of life…together. God is always enough, but this verse shows us that God is not only enough, but He’s a friend that cares enough to bring us other friends. He values people and relationships in our lives and works through them.
Time and time again I hear women tell me, “I just want one friend. Someone who sees me for who I really am, who’ll invite me places, and most importantly invite me into their lives and want to join in mine. Friends who reside in the tri-state area, not spread hither and yon by ministry life, grown-up life, or just life.”
When we moved to our first church call, I thought that friend would never come and then… I went to library storytime. Weird, but true. I meet Lani, who was also looking for a friend. She was willing to open her heart and her time for me and what a difference it made! Lani moved away, 2 short years after we met. (Tears.) But her gift to me was that gift of the armor-bearer of Jonathan –
“Do all that you have in mind…I am with you, heart and soul.”
Lani opened her heart so that I can open mine now to others. I can make myself vulnerable and risk all the yucky rejection, because she was willing to be my armor-bearer, my first friend in a strange new place, giving me strength in the battle against isolation and loneliness.
Do you long for a good friend?
Can you be that friend for another woman? Not just saying “Hi,” but inviting her in?
God is surely enough, but He also surely cares about the very desires of our hearts, including bringing you a friend. Lift it up to Him, sister. He hears. He doesn’t just give us the armor, He gives us people to bear the armor with. It might be His timing, but He has a friend in mind.