Friendship and Angels

My friend, Mandy, was in the hospital the last few days due to a ruptured ovarian cyst.   She reached out to me for some help while there.  I was happy to go and help my sweet friend during her time of need.  This required me finding a sitter for the boys, though.  Luckily I have an angel mother who happily obliged.  After doing what I could for my friend that day, I left feeling so great.  There is no more joy than serving someone who truly needs help.  I was thankful my friend allowed me to serve her and I was grateful for my mother who also served in her own way by taking my rowdy boys and loving them while I was away.

There is a scripture in Luke 22:42 -44 that has hit me this week.  Christ is in the Garden of Gethsemane and asks The Father to not have to go through this if possible.  Heavenly Father was not able to answer Christ's prayer the way he wanted and Christ was obedient anyway, BUT Heavenly Father sent an angel to strengthen him during his agony.  How many times are our prayers answered this way?  Someone is sent to comfort, help, strengthen, serve, etc. during our hour of need.  When he requires us to go through a trial, he does not leave us comfortless and he does not leave our prayers unanswered, but sometimes they are answered by the sending of an angel in human form. 

I think of my friend Mandy this week.  She has had to endure a trial of health this week and does not quite understand why, BUT the Lord first blessed her to have this happen at a time that her husband was home AND they happened to have a baby sitter lined up so it was not a challenge to get to the hospital in a timely manner.  Also, she was given a friend to be there with her until her parents could come.  I'm grateful that I was able to be the Lord's hands for that small moment.

I've seen him answer my own prayers in this way.  There have many things I have had to endure, and have prayed not to have to.  Instead of "removing the cup" from me, he sends someone to bless my life, more often than not, my angel mother.  I'm thankful for my friends and especially my mother.  Women are special.  We need each other and quite literally we are often the angels that ease the burdens of others around us. 

A line from Hymn 309 "As Sisters In Zion"
"The errand of angels is given to women;
and this is a gift that , as sisters, we claim:
To do whatsoever is gentle and human,
To cheer and to bless in humanity's name."