A Journey Begins, Lots of Life Happening and it is Only Tuesday

It is just Tuesday but seems like a lot of living has happened the past few days. Life can change so quickly. Just today I spent the morning and early afternoon with a friend as she prepared for the days ahead. She received a call that she hasn't not expected, but no matter the timing, the difficult call to take, that her father has passed away that morning. It is the sense of the moment the feeling that something must be done immediately but sometimes the next move is just to make another pot of coffee and cry. Decisions and the timing of things are going to demand attention soon enough. You just have to do the next thing, start getting things together, make those gut wrenching phone calls and take care of life at hand. The coming waves of emotions are just beginning to swell. Just last night on the way home from Bunko, Kay and I were talking about deep and significant friendships. She was telling me how she and her husband Jerrell went to be by Amanda's side in the hospital late that evening when Curtis had surgery to just love on their friends going through a scary time. She said, you just know in your heart it is the thing to do. How I thanked God this morning for that conversation last night because even though my friend said she was fine, I knew without a shadow of doubt, she needed a friend with her doing all the little things to prepare in making a difficult journey. I really wasn't quite sure what I should do or say or pray but if we ask God to give us wisdom and show the way, He is surely as good as His Word to do so. He never leaves or forsakes us. Last night I was reading in Galatians out of my Amplified Bible and by Galatians 6:2 I had written that carrying one another's burdens meant to help carry a crushing load. Sometimes a friend's presence is a more than adequate load bearer. Helping to carry luggage and an escape artist cat in a carrier to the car is bearing a burden. When we have the Hope that our loved one is with the Lord Jesus, in between the tears and waves of emotions come the welcomed waves of laughter and the comfortableness shared between good and close friends. We laughed about a funny experience with our Vietnamese Fajitas. We laughed that her Redneck East Texas cat had figured out a way to get our of her carrier while we took the first load to the car and we returned to find an empty cage with the door wide open. I quickly related the experience to the empty tomb, although it really doesn't compare to weight of Easter. She said, the stone is rolled away and I countered back with they have taken away my cat and I know not where they took her. She is not here, she has left the cage, just like you know she would. Oh that darn cat. She was quickly retrieved and securely secured in her travel carrier again. And just like that the next step of the journey began as they took off in the car. I thought of Elijah, when the angel said to him, here eat, or the journey will be too much for you. She went on her way with a McDonald's hamburger in her belly. I love the fact that the angel made hot bread for Elijah and love it even more that the Message Bible translates hot bread into biscuits. Now that will fill you well for a journey. Too bad McDonald's wasn't serving the breakfast menu this afternoon.