I found myself in the middle of a circle of my closest friends with their hands laid on me—hands on my back, shoulder, knees, and arms. Moments before, I shared the latest update on my decade-long broken marriage. Normally pretty composed and rarely someone that cries openly, I started to sob. They surrounded me and prayed words I couldn’t have predicted. They dispelled lies in my head that I didn’t know I was believing until they spoke truth over me. It was a visceral moment where it felt like the Holy Spirit was ministering directly to me through the mouths of my friends. Their words were highly specific and pierced my doubts. I had almost canceled that night of Bible study because I was so tired and worn out. If I had, I would have likely missed out on this transcendent moment.
This moment in our friendship did not happen overnight or because we were special. This was a group of ordinary women who committed to come together every week to pray, confess sin, and study Scripture together. Weeks stacked up into years. We showed up for each other in the little moments—listening ears and “praying for you” texts. We showed up in the big moments—cleaning for a friend overwhelmed by the foster care system, inviting a single mom to regular dinner invitations, making meals for those who had babies or medical procedures.
It didn’t feel like we were building anything extraordinary, until it was.
Grief, sorrow, joy, happiness, excitement—these emotions burn brighter when shared with the community God built us for. Hearing this can sometimes feel trite and impossible to come by in our introverted, digitally connected world, but it’s not. It happens day after day, in the little moments of consistency, pursuit, vulnerability, and transparency. Being the “one anothers” to our sisters (Hebrews 10:24). As we walk with Jesus we are empowered to walk alongside others (2Corinthians 1:4).
You might be tempted toward discouragement if you haven’t seen the transformation you’ve desired within your community, but take heart. Jesus walked closely with dear friends like Mary, Martha, and Lazurus. Surely they did not always treat Him perfectly. In my tenure on staff at a church, I’ve watched beautiful examples of community bending over backwards to celebrate and mourn together and pray for those who felt they no longer had the words to pray for themselves. These are people that keep saying yes to imperfect friendship.
In every season and situation, the biggest comfort we can offer one another is pointing each other back to Jesus. Our rest is ultimately in Him. Yes, we need Sabbath and self care and physical rest—but we are given soul rest as Jesus’s beloved (Matthew 11:28). No matter what circumstance we find each other walking through, whether it be mourning or dancing, let us exhort each other of these words: “and so we will always be with the Lord” (1Thessalonians 4:17).
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77 thoughts on "Weeping and Rejoicing with Others"
The breakup with my fiancé left me devastated until I lost all faith in spell magic. The guaranteed love rituals from PSYCHIC STANLEY surprised me because my fiancé called me 24 hours later while crying to ask for his return. We are engaged again, stronger than ever. whatsapp +1 (669) 467-3440 for help. Safe, private, and 100% real.
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No matter what season you are going through no matter the situation always point the person to the true comfort of Jesus Christ so they can find true rest❤️❤️✝️✝️
That’s weird, I was trying to reply directly to Searching. I suppose it is the “newer” format lol. Thank you for your prayers ladies. It is encouraging to come on here since 2021 and still see so many of the same people — and many amazing new ones!
Thank you, Searching ! ❤️
I am new here and do not belong to a small group yet. I do attend an online Bible Study which is rewarding and keeps me humble. I look forward to becoming better acquainted with you al! Have a blessed day!!!!
Welcome to this wonderful community of sisters! We look forward to getting to know you. At our church, we have small groups. We call it Lifegroup. I encourage you to join one if it’s available. Our lifegroup is just as Kacey described her group of friends.
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RHONDA J. manages a private Facebook page. Search for
“SRT SHE’S” and answer the question so Rhonda knows you’re from here. Be sure to use the apostroohe in SHE’S. You would Bbe welcome there, too! ❤
I am so, so thankful for this space – here at SRT! The sisterhood is amazing, the partners in prayer, encouraging words, wisdom and on and on. Thank you all for being a part of this community with me…And just think – one day we will all be together forever!❤️
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As I was reading 1 Thessalonians 4:13-18 I couldn’t help but think how wonderful it would be to be raptured, to never have to taste of death, meeting up with others in the clouds and all of us meeting Jesus together! As the song goes that Cheryl posted – what a day, glorious day that will be!!
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Please pray for Kevin and Amy Seekell, a family in RI (friends of our friends) that tragically lost their 21 year old son this past week in a plane crash. He was a flying instructor and was the only one onboard at the time of the crash. His mom shared this on a FB post: “A couple of weeks ago, Isaac stood before a group of men and women much farther along in years than he was and he challenged us to consider our eternity with even greater fervency than we consider all the temporal finite bits of life on earth. Isaac understood the importance of not just planning for today, but of planning for forever.” … He loved the Lord and lived out his faith, little did he know that he would be meeting his forever so soon.
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@Michelle P – continued prayers that you will soon find your place and friends in your new community. ❤️
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It’s been a joy doing this study with you all. I wish we could all meet in person and have one great big time of fellowship!…in the meantime – know that you are loved and prayed for! Blessings to each of you today!❤️
❤ Praying for the Seekell family and that those who heard their son speak will hear his words anew and heed his message.
Thank you, Sharon ❤️ :)
I am thankful for all of you and your prayers! But also for your words of encouragement and insight to our studies, songs shared, admonishments to keep on, and love. This is something very special to have in our time in this world!
And the reminder that one day, we will all meet Him face to face and all our struggles, pain, and tears will be gone! Makes me think of the old song,
What a Day That Will Be Lyrics
There is coming a day,
When no heart aches shall come,
No more clouds in the sky,
No more tears to dim the eye,
All is peace forever more,
On that happy golden shore,
What a day, glorious day that will be.
What a day that will be,
When my Jesus I shall see,
And I look upon His face,
The One who saved me by His grace;
When He takes me by the hand,
And leads me through the Promised Land,
What a day, glorious day that will be.
There’ll be no sorrow there,
No more burdens to bear,
No more sickness, no pain,
No more parting over there;
And forever I will be,
With the One who died for me,
What a day, glorious day that will be.
What a day that will be,
When my Jesus I shall see,
And I look upon His face,
The One who saved me by His grace;
When He takes me by the hand,
And leads me through the Promised Land,
What a day, glorious day that will be.
Praying for all!
Oh I LOVE that song..Glorious Day! I had wanted that tattooed on me at one time…glad I tattooed it on my heart instead..lol!!
Have not heard that song in eons! I immediately went to YouTube to listen – first on the list was a rendition by Drew Parker, it had a real country flair. :-) Thanks for sharing!
We sing that at lifegroup sometimes! ❤
She Sisters…I am so so grateful for the friendship of all of you! ❤️
I appreciate and am blessed daily by you and your unique perspectives! I’m so grateful for all your prayers, wisdom, sharing, and interconnectedness!
Thank you, Lord, for your provision of SRT and these dear, sweet She’s!!
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In 1992 in my early 20’s, I too was that girl just as Kasey mentions about herself.
I cried so much and hard! It may not have been a decade, but it sure felt like it! AND it was my daddy who came to my rescue and exchanged some STRONG words to that young husband back then. I remember us trying again, only to be told by this young husband I wasn’t any good as I had experienced two miscarriages that same year. BUT GOD…..My JESUS, healed my broken heart and here I am. And though I have experienced yet another divorce (abusive), I can rejoice with my JESUS who has given me strength to be where I am today. It’s ALL my JESUS! I can not and will not do life without HIM! AND the best part….Caleb and Alyssa, the loves of my life on this earth!
Praise God that He is One that rescues and restores!
Oh, Mari V.! I am so angry at your ex-husbands on your behalf. But what a gift of affirmation your father gave you! You are not broken; you are enough, with or without children, and I am so glad that you are here with us to “spur [us] on to love and good deeds.” Thank you, Sister, for your faithfulness.
Thank you for such sweet words Margaret.
What a blessing you all have been for me the past 9 years! The connections and camaraderie of this community – just wow.
Joys and sorrows shared, the joining of hands in spirit over situations, decisions, conflicts, heartbreaks – there’s so much support from our sisters around the world.
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Thank you, sisters, and thank you SRT for this wonderful community. Love you all ❤️
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MICHELLE P – praying, sister, for the Lord’s clear guidance as you work through finding your place and your people. ❤️
TRACI GENDRON – ❤️ we intensely feel the pain of the struggles of our friends and loved ones, don’t we? I feel helpless and caught off guard so many times, yet nothing going on surprises God. I am reminded of the importance of prayer – for healing and to get us all through the circumstances, whatever the outcome. Praying for Patty and Steve.
I share your sentiments exactly!❤️
I haven’t been here as long as you have, but I feel the same way! Thankful to KNOW that y’all are here each day. It’s the BEST way to start the day!!! Love you, sisters! ❤
Thankful for all my sisters here who have prayed for and with me. What a blessing to be here among you all!
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And let us consider one another in order to provoke love and good works, not neglecting to gather together, as some are in the habit of doing, but encouraging each other, and all the more as you see the day approaching. Heb 10:24-25
I don’t think we can say enough how important it is to live life in community. It is essential to our well being and we need to have others to walk alongside us and we need to be a part of walking with others. I am so very grateful for the many ways God has provided connected fellowship and community in my life and SRT is sweet part of that. Appreciate this space to connect so much. Blessings on your day❤️
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He is always working even when we are discouraged!! He will take care of you!!
With a heavy heart this morning I read the passages. Another friend of ours that has been battling one thing after another, had a terrible diagnosis recently. He has fought a blood cancer for years. Skin cancer. Diabetes. He now has another blood cancer and kidney failure. He and his wife have been together since they were 15. Their names are Patty and Steve.
I have so many friends battling illness. I know the battle so so well. My hurt hearts for them.
I just added him and Steve and Patty to my prayer list. I am going to be praying healing over him. I am so sorry
That is so heavy, so much to manage. :( Have prayed
This is so heartbreaking. I am praying for Patty and Steve. I know they are reeling from this new diagnosis and I pray God’s healing, strength, and comfort over them.
I am so sorry Traci. I will pray for Patty and Steve…it seems like it’s all around us – terrible diseases and heart ache. But…one day, it will all be behind us when we are finally “home”.
Praying for Patty and Steve.
Just prayed for Steve and Patty and you friend as you stand beside them during this time. ❤️
Christian community is so important! I found out just the difference when I went through my “smack you down- life changing time.” All friends are wonderful, but there is indeed a huge, fundamental, striking contrasting way they comfort you and try to help you. (Ha-remember Job’s friends?) When I was going through that time, divorce, I noticed not many of my wordly friends, and certainly his friends, saw it as something wrong in the eyes of the Lord. It has become so common in the world- if you aren’t happy you get divorced, after all we SHOULD be happy right? But that is not a biblical reason for divorce by even a little stretch. (but that is not the point) Those friends wanted to celebrate even. “Oh you can do better!” “Oh lets go out and drink!” “Let’s bash him verbally!”
But luckily, gratefully, I had a client that was a Christian, and also another friend of hers that offered prayer and scriptural encouragement. They invited me to church and their small group! That changed everything for me and my trajectory. Although I loved my other friends, they were not good for me. I learned the lesson of having Godly friends as my everyday friends. They pointed me back to Jesus!
Since then (24 years ago) I had a long decade of no small group in my life. And I mourned and missed that special connection. I told my husband when we were preparing to move to Florida 6 years ago, not only did I want a good “serving the community” church, but we must get connected right away and join small groups! That made such a difference in making friends and getting into God’s word with others. There is just nothing like it. Just as the author said in the devotional that you walk together in joy and sadness, every up and down, and support and pray for each other.
We have that here too, as we meet each morning! This is my, what…12th year with SRT. Every morning I come together and read with ya’ll and read through your thoughts. But more so we have our struggles, joys, and praises that we share. We know each other…and with our FB group we can see each other!! What fun that was seeing your precious faces! You are real people, lol!
Have your tribe, your Christ-following friends, not just for understanding and support but also for accountability and sharpening. We are called to judge by our fruits each other in Christ! And to help correct in love and gentleness when we astray and sinning. (that is not so popular but necessary!) A true friend is truth telling. And a true friend receives and accepts. That takes real maturity.
Much love to ya’ll for being my She’s! That have prayed for many things with me over the years. I was able to tell my grandson, who GRADUATED Saturday (thank you Lord!!), that I had friends praying for him all through the years. When he was around 10 ya’ll started praying for him! And I told him he only made it to graduating with the Hand of God on him, and he knows it, but to hear how his Roro has prayed over the years and others, I think it really touched him. So thank you again for praying for Brayden over the years!
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❤️…Congratulations on Brayden’s graduation!
I’m so thankful for fellowship with dear sisters near and far. All you Shes have been a blessing to me. You have prayed, comforted, encouraged, and increased my faith as you’ve shared. These verses and devotional today have me thinking of sisters I need to reconnect with. Sometimes life gets so busy it’s easy to let it get in the way of hospitality and friendships. I’m adding my thankfulness to all those who have served in the military and their families.
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Very grounding study; thank you, SHE READS TRUTH! ❤
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SONG SHARES:
1) We Shall Always Be With the Lord- Ellie Holconb
2) Outsing The Angels (Official Video) – Cory Asbury
I will have to listen to these!
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Amen.
Amen
Hebrews 10:24-25 (NLT) “Let us think of ways to motivate one another to acts of love and good works. And let us not neglect our meeting together, as some people do, but encourage one another, especially now that the day of his return is drawing near.”
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Thankful for you ladies as we virtually fulfill this Scripture meeting here every day.
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MICHELLE P – thank you for popping in and letting us know how you are doing. Continuing to pray that the Lord meets you in you loneliness and guides you to a new community ❤️
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ADRIENNE- how is your mom, Connie, doing?
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CAT-TEE – how is your mom?
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SHARON JERSEY GIRL – continued prayers for the restoration/forgiveness with the disrespectful episode with the woman in your congregation.
Kelly, thank you for fulfilling this scripture with us! I appreciate your daily responses and for posting the prayer requests.
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Praying over these requests!
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❤ Amen! ❤
Oh the love and support of community. I was greatly blessed last year during my unexpected medical issues and recovery. Some because I had no choice but to ask for help, an area I need to grow in when the choice is mine to make. The way people showed up was encouraging. The prayers and comments here from my fellow She’s helped me get through. We need each other my sweet Shes.
Danielle, we do need each other!
Oh how we need each other! And what a blessing it is to be here. ❤️
Amen
I am so glad we got to this this morning!
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wow, what a ride!
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It’s been good, and purging too!
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So here we are at the last day, my heart sings, because journeys are never meant to be taken alone. I mean, let’s face it, the situation maybe yours to bear, but when you have people, another, alongside you, holding you up, down, yes, even sideways, you know you are not alone! And, if they are Gods own people, who hold your arms up when you can’t, trust me, you are in God hands!
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We were 3 prayer partners.. the first one was a lovely lady whom I just clicked with, for years we prayed together weekly, as we walked or over coffee or just sitting in the garden. There sure was a trust..
New years day, I got a text from her that I thought was predictive text, but to make sure I got into my car, in my jammies, and drove to her house.. it was not predictive text but truth, her son had died. Our stories collided there, and we have been together, more so now with our journeys of loss. It is easy to talk freely to one on a similar journey.. no sugar coating, just the raw facts of how you are feeling!
To be honest, Carol’s heart always amazed me. She had a heart as big as the world! She fitted all in, no matter your walls of life or situation, no judgement, just heart and Christ like love.. she was amazing. She went to be with the Lord some 7years now, and there isn’t a day we don’t talk about our friend!
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So back to having people alongside us, in the joys, confusions, upside downs, sadnesses of life, I want to give each and everyone of YOU my sisters here at SRT a SHOUT OUT!
I have known your arms around me when lemons came hurtling at me, I have felt the prayers covered in love and encouragement when I forgot, for a while, to whom I belonged, and I have felt cheered on, when it looked and felt like I was alone, but by God, I was not.. I had an army on the sidelines of my life, cheering…
For all your love, encouragement, grace, prayers, these❤️, that often fill a whole, THANK YOU for walking alongside in the dark days and the joyfilled days, the what’s going to happen days to the Wahoo days…
THANK YOU..
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THANK YOU.
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THANK YOU…
Covered in much love and hugs right back-atcha.. doublefold!
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Every blessing you poured out over me is turned back to the God who brought us together, in praise..
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BUT GOD..❤️
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You are a treasure, Tina!
Thank YOU❣️
Amen- you are a treasure Tina!
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Re: song reference (Blessed Be the Name) I love singing that sing at church!
Sending blissfully rain damp hugs your way, dear Tina! ❤
Oh this made me cry. I’ve mentioned you to so many of my family and friends. That your words held me up when life was beating me down. You are so precious to me Tina.
I just love your way with words Tina! They speak to me so often and I’m sure to all the sisters here. Prayers of thanks for all our SRT sisters!
❤️ You are a blessing Tina
Love YOU Tina, to the Moon and Back and MORE…… Can’t wait to meet you someday!
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Thank you, Tina, for sharing your heart always! You are a blessing!
Wonderfully said Tina! You are a blessing to us all – so thankful for SRT that introduced me to you…and we got to meet in person!! Forever thankful for that! ❤️
Oh Tina…as so many have said already, I look forward to your posts every morning. You are one of the strongest, spirit filled women I know. Thank you that you share with us and pray with us every day. Much love and blessings to you!❤️
Father, thank You for the fellowship of believers who will point us always, in each and every circumstance, back to Jesus!
Blessings on your Friday, Ladies and a special thanks to all the military families who sacrifice so we can continue to live in a free country!
Amen, Sally!❤️
Amen!
Amen!
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Amen Sally!!
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