Sara is one of the most loving and caring people I know, despite her circumstance. You see… Sara is sick. She’s been diagnosed with Ankylosing Spondylitis and Cushing’s Disease which pretty much means she hurts ALL THE TIME and her immune system is shot. Just stepping outside her front door could mean weeks of being sick for her.

She says she’s “just a girl who used to write for a magazine to make a living…” But I would argue that she’s far from “just a girl”.

“Gitz”, as we lovingly call her, clearly chooses joy every day and helps us realize being homebound doesn’t limit your life… just your location. She teaches me life isn’t about adapting… it’s about living in the present so adaptation isn’t necessary. She reminds me to see the beauty in all my situations.

I have a lot to learn from Sara… and I’m fortunately blessed to call her “friend”.

Without further adieu, I give you… SARA!

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God, being who He is, must always be sought for Himself, never as a means toward something else. -AW Tozer

My friend Susie and I are slightly obsessed with the show Brothers and Sisters. The crazier the family gets, the more we seem to be enthralled… so it was no surprise when she called me one night after the first commercial starting sentences with, “Can you believe…” and “They are insane…” and “How funny was…”

Never at a loss for words, Susie and I rambled on through the commercials and immediately shushed each other when the show came back on. The funny thing was, we didn’t hang up.

And we didn’t even notice that we were sitting in silence on the phone, watching a television show together while not saying a word. Sometimes it’s nice to just “be” with someone… even when distance separates you.

I had an experience the last couple of weeks that took up most of my conscious thoughts. Because I am homebound with a serious illness, healthcare can be tricky and I ran into a medical roadblock that seemed pretty insurmountable. Coming up with a solution proved to be a rollercoaster, and to say that my life was consumed with prayer would be an understatement.

My eyes would open in the morning and I’d be talking to God, asking him to give me the strength to face whatever the day brought for me. Throughout the day I’d thank Him for being faithful and loving me. When my thoughts would return to the situation at hand, I would ask Him to touch the hearts of the medical professionals I needed to help me, and in the next breath would ask Him to touch my heart so I could accept whatever outcome He thought was best for me.

I wanted. I thanked. I wanted. I thanked. I talked. I listened. And then I talked some more. I was so drawn to stay in conversation with Him, but at the same time I was so sick saying what I already knew He heard, and what I already knew He had taken care of. I just didn’t know the outcome yet.

Then I had a moment… sitting in front of the fireplace with my pup… when it felt like that night on the phone with Susie. I had stopped talking, stopped listening, stopped thinking. But I hadn’t hung up. I realized I was being drawn, not to keep talking to Him, but to “be” with Him. To just rest in His presence and know I was ok.

I don’t normally do that. I seem to have a need to fill up the space with God. To actively talk, actively listen, actively praise. But that night I realized I needed Him in the same way I need my best friend. Sometimes I just need to be understood without saying a word, sometimes I need to just not be alone.

If this medical crisis taught me nothing else, it taught me that sometimes prayer has nothing to do with speaking or listening. It’s trusting Him enough to simply rest in His presence.