As I mentioned in my blog from last week, I said ‘good-bye’ to my daughter a week ago Sunday who left to go back overseas for the next couple of years. On Monday the loss of her presence really hit me— like a giant wave that came crashing over me, and as soon as I’d try to stand up and get my bearings, another wave would come crashing down on me and I felt like I was being taken down by an undertow. I fought back tears off and on all that day as I busied myself with getting my daughter’s room back in order, and doing other household chores, all the while listening to praise music. Ultimately and thankfully, I fixed my eyes upon God Who graciously gave me sweet revelations of His magnificent love for me and a renewed appreciation for the sacrifices He’s made for my sake!

In the afternoon on that Monday, while I still was attempting to ‘hold my head above water’ to keep from drowning in sorrow, I went to my mailbox. Our mail hadn’t been delivered yet, but I saw an envelope with my name written on it and next to my name, a scribbled heart. I opened up the envelope and reached inside, pulling out a notecard that had on the front of it a beautiful picture of a mother seated with her young daughter leaning onto her lap. When I looked inside the card I saw that it was from my next door neighbor whom I dearly love! However, due to the fact that she has 7 children, home schools 4 of them who’re still under her roof, and is usually ‘living in her car’ schlepping her children to their numerous activities, we very rarely get the chance to see one another, much less stop and chat. She dearly loves my daughter who frequently babysat for her children in their younger years, and they’d visited a couple of times during the summer. She knew that my daughter was going to be leaving to go back overseas, but she wasn’t sure of the exact date of her departure. But God knew! And in His loving kindness He had prompted my sweet neighbor to take time out of her extremely busy schedule and to write to me before she did anything else that morning. I praised God— and later thanked her— that she was obedient to follow the Holy Spirit’s leading. As I began reading her very loving and encouraging words that let me know she was praying for me and in which she shared about the impact that my life has had upon hers, and specifically upon her parenting, I was overwhelmed by God’s goodness He not only knew that was the very day- and even the very time during that day—that I most needed to receive her note, but He also knew the very words I most needed to hear!!!


When I called to thank her not only for the words she’d written, but also to let her know that her note had arrived the day immediately after my daughter’s departure when her words were most sorely needed, we both were in awe of God and how He moves in our lives, attending to every detail! He always does so in a way that demonstrates His lavish love for us! We were also reminded once again that in His infinite wisdom God chooses to use us, His beloved children, to  be ‘His hands and feet’—or as some would say, “Jesus with skin on”—so that other children of His will be blessed, encouraged in their faith, and receive a ‘love touch’ from their mutual Heavenly Father.  I was able to affirm to my friend that she had indeed heard the Holy Spirit speaking to her! She was blessed to know she’ heard from the Lord, and that He had chosen to use her to be a blessing in my life!

Then, several days later on a morning when I was acutely missing my daughter again, I received a text. It was from a friend and sister in Christ who’d been in a bible study and prayer group I’d led over 10 years ago. She is also someone I dearly love but see even more rarely than my neighbor because we live on opposite sides of our city. It’d been almost two years since I’d seen her, and then we’d only been able to speak briefly. This is what her text said:

“Hi my dear friend! I woke up in the middle of the night and was prompted to pray for you. So I prayed for you, your family, your ministry and your health…that you continue to go boldly forth with strength as you spread the gospel!”

Wow!  How amazing is it that my ‘Abba Father’ would prompt a sister in Christ I hadn’t seen in years to pray for me, for my family, and for my ministry! And again, right when I desperately needed her prayers! And, how blessed I was to know that she was willing to pray for me even in the middle of the night! How good is our God! How blessed I am to have faithful sisters in Christ who obeyed the Holy Spirit’s prompting! How thankful I am for the ‘family of God’ whom He uses as an instrument of His grace, mercy and love, and who in turn receive the joy of being a blessing to others in their—and His—family!

Have you received ‘love touches’ from God through a sister or brother in Christ at just the right time? Have you realized that it was the Lord using them to give you a ‘’love touch’ that was actually from Him? Did you thank the Lord, as well as the other person who was obedient to the Holy Spirit’s prompting?

Is the Lord prompting you now to reach out to someone via a phone call, text, email, or a card? I strongly encourage you to be obedient —whether now or in the future if He so leads— and make it your priority to obey the prompting of the Spirit! Doing so will be such an encouragement to the other person, and I know it will build your faith as you likely will hear from them something to this effect: “How did you know what I was going through, and that I really needed to hear a word of encouragement and love from someone today?!” You will be blessed knowing that you have been used as an instrument of God’s grace, and God will receive the glory He is due for being our All-Knowing, Ever Loving Heavenly Father Who is always at work on our behalf!

Written by Julie