amazed by grace

It's often said that God uses the most unlikely people to reach out to you in your time of need. This morning, that couldn't be more true.

Just yesterday I was trying to justify my recent abscence from the women's Bible study I attend. I rambled on as I got ready, listing off to my husband one excuse after another. I didn't feel like the other women in the study liked me. They hardly ever talked to me. I felt like the judged me. My husband listened patiently as I whined and then reminded me that the people didn't really matter, but my relationship with God did.

So I trudged on to Bible study, feeling reluctant and detached. As prayer requests were exchanged, I decided to be a little daring. I shared about my on-going struggle with depression and how the recent lost of my cat had sent me spiraling downward, triggering the worst symptoms. The ladies listened and encouraged me. I was a little surprised that I received no condemning looks. Many times before, mention of my depression had gotten me the "oh ye of little faith" look and pointless banter on how if I just trusted God more, the depression would poof!, disappear.

So I really wasn't expecting what happened this morning.

One of the ladies from Bible study came up to me first thing in the morning at work. I was little surprised to see her at my desk; we seldom talked outside of Bible study. As she talked about typical work stuff, she plunked down a women's devotional on my desk. Before she left, she gestured towards the book and told me she had picked it up for me. And with that she breezed off.

I picked up the devotional. Tucked inside was a card encouraging me, letting me know I wasn't alone in my struggles, reminding me I was being prayed for.

I called my husband, sniffling but smiling.