A dear friend from church met me at the airport today, dropped off Lee’s car for him, and drove us home in our van. Her action of love was a true encouragement. Instead of merely telling me I should depend on God rather than myself (a true statement) or reminding me that other mothers have it worse (another true statement), she unselfishly gave her time to meet a genuine physical need.

Sometimes we dole out advice when we should be doling out help. (Advice isn’t always bad, but when it substitutes for needed help, it can be quite discouraging.)

My older children are in tears, so I told them both they could lie down with me for awhile. Bethel fell asleep in short order, and I carried her to bed. David was afraid of the smoke alarm, so I took some time to explain how it worked. Then we talked about what King David did when he was afraid (I make sure that my kids know that bravery doesn’t mean you’re not afraid; bravery is doing right even when we are afraid). We prayed, and I reminded David that our God is a very big God. He can take care of us, even when our Daddy is gone.

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