Act on it!
It hit me suddenly— a wave of sudden sadness came over me, heavy with the weight of grief. I stopped what I was doing. I had a long to-do list, but the intensity of the feeling demanded my attention, if only for a brief moment. I wanted so desperately to call a friend, but doing that felt hard. I was paralyzed, and feeling lonely.
Although it wasn’t my first instinct, I recognized my need to go to God first. I pulled out my prayer journal and wrote a short prayer, and shared what was on my heart. Only after I text a friend to see if she could talk. It was a difficult text to send because, in the midst of deep pain, my natural inclination is always to isolate. While taking time alone isn't inherently bad, I have learned that shutting myself off prevents me from receiving the community and support I truly need. She wasn't available right away. So, I got up and decided to push forward with my tasks for the day.
In the mist of doing what I had planned to do, a quiet thought entered my mind: I wish a friend would call to check on me.
There are moments in life when it feels incredibly life-giving to be checked on. A simple "thinking of you" or a genuine "how are you doing?" can completely brighten a dark day. There is something profoundly soul-nurturing about knowing you were on someone’s mind and heart.
I believe we think of people often, but we rarely act on it. The thought crosses our mind and then simply vanishes. Often, we don't act because we are overwhelmed by our own busyness; reaching out implies an obligation to engage, and we feel we don't have the time. But what if we shifted our perspective? What if we sent a text that required nothing more than acknowledgment? Imagine receiving a message like: "I have a completely full day and can't talk right now, but you crossed my mind and I wanted to let you know. Hope all is well!" Or simply: "Thinking of you today, how can I pray for you?" or "Thinking of you, let's connect soon." A while ago, my husband made a deliberate decision to do exactly this—whenever someone randomly enters his mind, he sends a quick text just to say, "Thinking of you."
Eventually, my friend did text me back. We talked, and I felt deeply supported. The reality is that I cannot wait around hoping someone will guess my thoughts when I need a friend to sit with me; it is my responsibility to communicate my needs. Even so, it feels undeniably beautiful when someone reaches out at the exact moment you need it most. I think of those timely moments as a "kiss from God"—a sweet reminder saying, I see you.
What if we chose to be a part of those divine reminders for others? The next time God puts someone on your heart, stop for just a moment and send a quick text or make a brief call: "I was thinking of you today..." You never know just how much they might need to hear it.