Life is Better When Someone is Praying for You

For the past several months, I've been helping my friend learn English via FaceTime.  I give her 3-4 hours of my time each week, but I feel like I get more back than I give.
Her example is inspiring.  She works hard in her university coursework (even though she already earned a degree in Mongolia!), learning English, and helping take care of her daughter and grandchildren.  She is courageous, interacting with others at school and work and church, in a language that is new and difficult.  She is humble, taking correction well, and wanting to be the best she can.  She is loving and generous to me and to others - with her time and resources.  She has faith that she can master this crazy language, as well as faith that God loves her and is looking out for her.

This humility, faith, hard work, love, and courage come together each time I meet with her and I feel blessed to be her friend.  But, it gets better.

Before we start our tutoring sessions together, she offers a prayer.  She fully acknowledges that the good things in life she has have come from God, so she asks him to bless our study time together.  But, in addition to praying for assistance to learn English, she almost always prays for ME.  She prays for my family to be safe from Coronavirus.  She prays for us to be safe as we drive my son across the country to school next week.  She prays for us to be safe as we drive back home again.  She prays for my missionary son to be safe.  She expresses gratitude for me -- for my help and for my friendship.  Yesterday I had tears in my eyes as I listened to her words and felt such tremendous love.

I never would have imagined that serving my friend in such a simple way could be such a source of joy to me.  It has given me extra purpose in these crazy times.  It has helped me use my brain.  But more than anything, it has helped me feel loved and needed and watched over.

The Lord does notice us, and he watches over us. 
But it is usually through another person that he meets our needs. 
(Spencer W. Kimball, 1981) You can read his entire message HERE

There are many ways we can be kind and lift others up.  We should pray for each other more.

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