Lord, please help me to snap the tension between us; and please help both of us float away from our time together.  Amen

I found myself praying that prayer before meeting my friend for coffee several weeks ago.

A tree limb snaps – is easily broken – when it is dead and brittle.  The tension I was experiencing felt like a dead tree limb – it could easily snap our friendship.  I didn’t like the feeling or the potential outcome!

As I pondered the why of the situation, and added up my reasons for the tension, I realized it was all about me.  Yikes!  Every reason started with the word “I”.  And I didn’t like it; I knew it wasn’t right.  I had the potential to snap our friendship in half.

“Do nothing from rivalry or conceit, but in humility count others more significant than yourselves.  Let each of you look not only to his own interests, but also to the interests of others.”
Philippians 2:3 and 4

And therein was the key.  God gave the grace to stop navel gazing and to think about her. I prepared for our time together by thinking about questions to ask her.  I began to review the character of God and what His desires might be for the two of us.  And I prayed.

Slowly the sap began to flow through that almost dead limb; life was returning; the tension was draining.  It felt good.

My friend didn’t need to know my journey; she needed to experience the results of my journey.

I floated out of the coffee shop that morning after a delightful hour together.   God had met me and I could pass that blessing on to her.

“He has told you, O (wo)man, what is good; and what does the Lord require of you but to do justice, and to love kindness, and to walk humbly with your God?”
Micah 6:8