1 John 4 says,
“Beloved, since God loved us so much, we also ought to love one another. No one has ever seen God; if we love one another, God lives in us, and his love is perfected in us.”
I love this scripture as it is a reminder to me that one way we see God is in and through one another. When we love, share grace, walk alongside each other, and comfort one another we are on holy ground, sharing the face of God through our very being.
This past month our group of Befrienders got together to visit and share what it means to them to be a part of this ministry. Being a Befriender (both formally and informally), is one way of living out God’s love. Befriending happens in a lot of ways: visits, phone calls, cards, prayer shawls, listening; even simple acts like how we greet and pay attention to those we interact with on our daily lives.
As the group reflected on what impact being a Befriender has had on their own lives, over and over again I heard how great it was to get to know someone and hear their stories. How often do we get to just visit and hear life stories? In the hustle and bustle of life, not very often. But when we intentionally take the time to Befriend and listen we give the gift of listening and receive so much more in return.
Whether you are interested in being a part of the Befriender group at Prince of Peace, or you are informally befriending those in your life, take some time this month to ask some questions and listen to someone else’s story.
Some question suggestions for you:
Where did you grow up?
What was the view outside your bedroom window?
What images do you have for God?
Who taught you about love?
May you be blessed as you take time to listen and share.
Peace, Pastor Ruth
