Verse of the Day - Ecclesiastes 4:10

If one person falls, the other can reach out and help. But someone who falls alone is in real trouble. ~ Ecclesiastes 4:10 (NLT)

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One time several years ago, I was alone in my apartment cooking dinner, cutting green onions (ya know...it's always the green onions...!) with my very sharp Cutco chef knife, when...slice! I cut my left index finger tip quite badly. I immediately applied pressure with my thumb and held it there for what seemed like a very long time. I went into the bathroom and removed my thumb. Immediately, blood began to pour out of the cut, and something happened to me that had NEVER happened -- I almost passed out. I instantly went into a cold sweat and quickly sat down on the toilet seat (while reapplying heavy pressure on the wound...!) I could hardly believe what had happened and was NOT feeling well at all. I wondered if I needed to go to the doctor, and would I even be able to drive myself? I was alone, and it was not a good feeling. (Fortunately, I didn't require medical attention for my self-inflicted cutlery wound, but it took a long time to heal and even caused some nerve damage in my fingertip. Yikes!)

Can I get a show of hands of how many of you have been helped up by a friend when you were down? I thought so. Y'all raised your hands, didn't you? :-)

God doesn't want us to live this life alone, and if you think you should, as some weird sort of bravado, you're cutting your own fingertip with your own knife---alone! We need other people, to help bounce ideas off of, to get perspective, to provide strength where we are weak, to listen and cry and love. And God brings people into our lives to meet those needs....to show His love through them.

If you are someone who doesn't open up to others and tend to be a loner, I beg of you to please allow others into your life. You need them, whether you want to admit it or not. And if you are one with many friends, let them know how much you appreciate them in your life and nurture those friendships with godly wisdom.

One of God's greatest gifts is the gift of friends.
Make one. Be one.

Love,
Joelene