Misery Loves Company

Such an odd expression, I think. Just because I'm feeling down certainly doesn't mean that I want to drag others down with me. No! Quite the contrary. I want to surround myself with people I love. People whom can boost my spirits. People to laugh and talk with. As much as we might like to sit in a corner and sulk, it does no one any good.

There's so much misery in the world. Children with no food to eat. Women battling cancer, wondering how their families will carry on if they don't make it. Men out of jobs, wanting desperately to provide for their families. My troubles and sorrows, though real, are very small in comparison. I don't think anyone of those people wants to bring others down, but rather they'd like to spend the evening with a good friend, forgetting their troubles for just a little bit.

And so, I spend the day in prayer for others. A mother of two, fighting cancer and her insurance company. Lord, give her the strength to carry on, to enjoy her children day by day. Heal her body, Lord, and give her peace when she feels like she can't bear any more.

A mother of seven, also fighting cancer, with faith that God is good no matter what. For the husband and children who watch her suffer. May they be kind, even when they are weary. May they look to the One who is the Great Physician when doctors don't seem to know how to help.

A husband of one, and father of two little ones, out of a job. Thank you, Lord, for his wife who knows how to make a satisfying meal with next to nothing, and for little ones who find the greatest joy in second-hand toys and a bit of imagination. Thank you for the the evidence of love and compassion between them.

Lord, I think of Melisa, whom we sponsor through Compassion. I don't know what her last meal was, if she is cold, or hurting, but you do, Lord. May our letters and the small amount of money that we send each month cheer her spirits, and draw her closer to you. Thank you for my children, who are compassionate, and sponsor other children on their own with their hard-earned money. May they never stop caring for others.

I pray on and on. For my neighbors, for my own children, and for my dear husband who is in excruciating pain since his accident. Yes, my troubles are small, but He is big, and cares for me just the same. The day turns to evening, and the sorrow is lightened and the blessings are revealed.

Tonight, I am surrounded by friends. I am surrounded by children, and laughter, and pancakes and sticky syrup. Even without my two boys, Verne, and Michele's husband, there were 11 of us around the table. There's no time to wallow in self-pity and He allows me to experience joy by serving others.

And I experience joy by giving. A long overdue baby gift, purple for Lydia, of course.

A close-up.

Thankfully, she approves of her new blanket, and the way it tastes!


Yes, misery loves company, and soon, she isn't so miserable anymore.