What a friend we have in Jesus,
All our sins and griefs to bear!
What a privilege to carry
Everything to God in prayer!
Oh, what peace we often forfeit,
Oh, what needless pain we bear,
All because we do not carry
Everything to God in prayer!
Have we trials and temptations?
Is there trouble anywhere?
We should never be discouraged--
Take it to the Lord in prayer.
Can we find a friend so faithful,
Who will all our sorrows share?
Jesus knows our every weakness;
Take it to the Lord in prayer.
Are we weak and heavy-laden,
Cumbered with a load of care?
Precious Savior, still our refuge--
Take it to the Lord in prayer.
Do thy friends despise, forsake thee?
Take it to the Lord in prayer!
In His arms He’ll take and shield thee,
Thou wilt find a solace there.
I never stopped to think about the meaning of this wonderful hymn until just recently.
Being in a fairly foreign place, life as a stay-at-home mommy can get rather lonely. I love talking to my husband and have a few friends that I’ve met here…but there are a lot of new experiences that come with motherhood that someone who is not a mom may have a hard time understanding. Or, I just don’t want others to think that I don’t like my new job, because I LOVE it! I love being with Aria all day. She’s getting to be such a fun little girl! But, she’s also a lot of work.
There were lots of days in the early weeks of having her home, and Josh gone at school where I felt the load weighing heavily on my shoulders. And as hard as you may try, there's just no accurate way to describe this to someone who is not going through it.
Wouldn’t you know…God knew this. He knew that I had a void in my life for a friend who could share in my new adventure.
Just a few weeks after Aria was born, Josh brought home a classmate of his, Michael, and his pregnant wife, Mary. Mary was due in just a few days, and they wanted a first-hand look into the life of new parents. We shared funny stories, offered what little advice we could, and wished them luck and prayers.
Not too long later, Mary gave birth to a handsome little fella named Benjamin.
Mary and I started taking our little ones on walks a couple times per week, and as our conversations grew, I realized that this wasn’t just a coincidence.
You see…
Mary is the wife of a dental student. Like me.
She is a new momma. Like me.
She loves to be outside and go on adventures. Like me.
She likes to cook yummy foods. Like me.
And she loves Jesus. Like me.
If you can’t tell…Mary and I are very much alike. Jesus knew that as a new mother in a still-very-new place, I’d need someone to laugh and cry with. Someone to share in both the struggles and joys that a newborn can bring. Someone to encourage me to not stay holed up inside the house (for sanity’s sake), and spend time together when our husbands are out drilling on teeth late at night in lab.
And as friends do, they want their friends to be happy. So my friend Jesus sent my new friend Mary.
Mary is so sweet, kind, and compassionate. Even as a new mom herself, she is teaching me how to be a better mom for Aria. I am so very thankful for her friendship, and love that Aria gets to know her as well.
All our sins and griefs to bear!
What a privilege to carry
Everything to God in prayer!
Oh, what peace we often forfeit,
Oh, what needless pain we bear,
All because we do not carry
Everything to God in prayer!
Have we trials and temptations?
Is there trouble anywhere?
We should never be discouraged--
Take it to the Lord in prayer.
Can we find a friend so faithful,
Who will all our sorrows share?
Jesus knows our every weakness;
Take it to the Lord in prayer.
Are we weak and heavy-laden,
Cumbered with a load of care?
Precious Savior, still our refuge--
Take it to the Lord in prayer.
Do thy friends despise, forsake thee?
Take it to the Lord in prayer!
In His arms He’ll take and shield thee,
Thou wilt find a solace there.
I never stopped to think about the meaning of this wonderful hymn until just recently.
Being in a fairly foreign place, life as a stay-at-home mommy can get rather lonely. I love talking to my husband and have a few friends that I’ve met here…but there are a lot of new experiences that come with motherhood that someone who is not a mom may have a hard time understanding. Or, I just don’t want others to think that I don’t like my new job, because I LOVE it! I love being with Aria all day. She’s getting to be such a fun little girl! But, she’s also a lot of work.
There were lots of days in the early weeks of having her home, and Josh gone at school where I felt the load weighing heavily on my shoulders. And as hard as you may try, there's just no accurate way to describe this to someone who is not going through it.
Wouldn’t you know…God knew this. He knew that I had a void in my life for a friend who could share in my new adventure.
Just a few weeks after Aria was born, Josh brought home a classmate of his, Michael, and his pregnant wife, Mary. Mary was due in just a few days, and they wanted a first-hand look into the life of new parents. We shared funny stories, offered what little advice we could, and wished them luck and prayers.
Not too long later, Mary gave birth to a handsome little fella named Benjamin.
Mary and I started taking our little ones on walks a couple times per week, and as our conversations grew, I realized that this wasn’t just a coincidence.
You see…
Mary is the wife of a dental student. Like me.
She is a new momma. Like me.
She loves to be outside and go on adventures. Like me.
She likes to cook yummy foods. Like me.
And she loves Jesus. Like me.
If you can’t tell…Mary and I are very much alike. Jesus knew that as a new mother in a still-very-new place, I’d need someone to laugh and cry with. Someone to share in both the struggles and joys that a newborn can bring. Someone to encourage me to not stay holed up inside the house (for sanity’s sake), and spend time together when our husbands are out drilling on teeth late at night in lab.
And as friends do, they want their friends to be happy. So my friend Jesus sent my new friend Mary.
Mary is so sweet, kind, and compassionate. Even as a new mom herself, she is teaching me how to be a better mom for Aria. I am so very thankful for her friendship, and love that Aria gets to know her as well.
No matter what new stage of life you’re going through…Jesus knows.
He created you, and He knows exactly what you need in these moments here on Earth. And His provision lately just encourages me even more to bring ALL of my requests to Him.
-Reilly :)
As iron sharpens iron, one man sharpens another. - Proverbs 27:17
He created you, and He knows exactly what you need in these moments here on Earth. And His provision lately just encourages me even more to bring ALL of my requests to Him.
-Reilly :)
As iron sharpens iron, one man sharpens another. - Proverbs 27:17