Friday Night with Friends: The Difference Between For and With by W.C. Barber

Mr. W. C. Barber is our Friday Night with Friends guest blogger.  I asked for permission to share this sweet story and he reluctantly agreed.  As you have probably noticed from the blog website, the theme of Lines From Leanna is "faith lived out loud".  Mr. Barber has had a "faith lived out loud" experience that gave him great joy.  In the midst of our routine, we can suddenly find that God is not only at work, but He is calling us to participate.  That is exactly what happened to Mr. Barber.  I think you will be blessed, and hope you will be looking for "Faith Lived Out Loud" moments of your own.  

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I received a call one Monday morning recently from a sweet little lady in quite a bit of distress. It seemed that, after being discharged from a Nursing Facility and admitted to Sanctuary Hospice, her Social Security payments and her Medicaid eligibility had vanished. Her family had given up on her and had not been to visit at all. She had no one to help, and had no idea what to do.  

After a few calls and a bit of computer time, I was able to fix those problems of hers fairly easily. Something just seem to niggle and tell me I needed to do more. I told her that I would put her on my prayer list (the one that seems to be growing with names I can neither spell nor pronounce) and would pray for her daily. 

She called a few days later to thank me again and to ask if I would not just pray for her, but would I come see her and pray with her. After a little debate I thought, "Well, why not?" I stopped by a florist to get her a small bouquet of fresh flowers that I thought might brighten her day just a little. 

I obviously did not realize the difference between praying for someone and praying with someone.  This was a first for me. My intentions were to have a short prayer, leave the flowers, and let her meet the voice on the phone. WOW, was I ever wrong! The time spent praying with her was one of the most incredible hours I have ever experienced. It was a wonderful time, and, when I left I truly felt she was the one helping me. It was an incredible blessing.