Thursday's thoughts - bear one another's burdens

"Bear one another's burdens, and so fulfill the law of Christ."

As we were packing up to leave our home, and our lives were turned upside-down because we lost our job.  We were supposed to pack up in two weeks and be out of our home.  Shocked and blinded with confusion, we were overwhelmed as we started randomly throwing things into suitcases and then re-evaluating our decisions over and over again.  I was seven months pregnant with our sixth child. 

We wandered around tears and anger intermixed.  We had had no idea that this is what that meeting would be about. 

We moved out to town.  There was  a couple there who were filling the position of supply buyer.  They went out of their way to make our stay in that country pleasant, even in the midst of terribly hard circumstances.  They planned a party for our three-year old daughter - I am sure that it was the last thing on my mind. 

Less than two months, later after we came home with our second daughter and our sixth child - she helped plan a shower for the little one we'd just had.

A year later, when my husband and two oldest boys returned, the husband and his son went along to help take care of things in the village we'd been working in.

This is a picture of bearing one another's burdens.

But lately, I've been wondering if it can mean something else as well.

You see, just this week the husband (36 years old) died suddenly after his children were tucked into bed.  And now, here I am on the other side of the world, while my friend goes through something even worse than what I went through all those years ago.  Her home is uprooted (they are coming back to the U.S.), her job as a missionary is going to either be over or very different, but even more, she has lost the person she planned on spending the rest of her life with.  I can't imagine having to go through what I did 7 years ago without Carpenter.

So now, I'm thinking that bearing one another's burdens, may not always be physical things you do, but maybe it's standing in the gap and praying constantly, and I mean constantly.  The memorial service for James was just last night - our time. 

Nicky and her family just had to get 5-year visas which is a huge expense for a family of 5.  Then they also need to get tickets to come home and don't have the advantage of getting them ahead. 
If you feel that you would like to help them financially, here is a link to give to them.
http://usa.ntm.org/missionaries/james-and-nicolette-poarch

Thanks for keeping them in your prayers,
Steph