There are times in our lives

When the world seems all too heavy

When our issues and emotions

Are too much for us alone

That’s when God sends us angels

To sustain us on our journey

We can see them in the faces of our friends

We all need the love of good friends;

Heaven’s grace when we are falling

Close, and intimate friends

Can protect you when you’re falling

When you’re down and feel your world

Come crashing in around you

Friends walk with you, they pray you through

Sharing heavy burdens

You could never bear alone

It can be scary when you fall into

The arms of grace

When you take that leap of faith

And trust in someone else’s love

When you stand to face your demons

Feeling lost and all alone

A friend can be that angel

Who can safely guide you home

If you’ll just peer beyond those tears

That veil your anguished eyes

You’ll see mercy waiting for you

In the faces of your friends

There is no judgment, just acceptance

Friends will meet you where you are

Friends are kindness and compassion -

They are love

We all need the love of good friends ...

My burdens are my own, but don’t define me

They are where I am, but not who I am

Who I am is a beloved child of God

And if I pause to see the angels

God has placed here all around me

I’ll find peace in the comfort of my friends

... my friends

We all need the love of good friends ...

God bless angels and friends!

My friend, Cathy Distler, and I shared a ride from Cincinnati to St. Louis. As we traveled, we talked about our families and our faith journeys. Cathy shared a particularly touching story with me about a time in her life when she was overwhelmed and didn’t know where to turn. Being the mother of four young girls was proving to be a challenge for Cathy and she didn’t have an outlet for her emotions. In Cathy’s words, “I thought I was going crazy!”

She belonged to a MOMS group and had close friends, but didn’t feel comfortable sharing her situation with her group at the time. She was afraid that her group would judge her or worse, abandon her.

Then, one day while Cathy was at her MOMS group she broke down in tears and shared her true feelings with the group. As she looked up through her tears, she did not find judgmental faces, she found loving, caring friends who offered to walk with Cathy and to pray with her through her difficult times. And they did.

Cathy cites this as a major breakthrough in her spiritual growth -- being willing to be on the receiving end of unconditional love and service (not just be on the giving end, which she often is).

As we continued our journey, Cathy jotted down her thoughts and feelings during this difficult time and I helped put them into song.

Cathy is happy to share her story with others and has given me permission to share this with you on my Web site. Her hope and prayer is that others will be inspired by what they read and feel more comfortable reaching out to friends and family during difficult times.

   

Be an angel for someone; be a friend!

Angels and Friends

Words and Music by Cathy Distler & Dan Donnelly

Copyright © Daniel R Donnelly.

All Rights Reserved.