Bigger Than The Miles

Bigger Than The Miles

Ican admit it… I was born with the “extra” disease. Nearly everything I do is infused with a touch of “over-the-top.” Ask me to contribute to a class potluck, and I’m likely to show up toting an ice sculpture of the school’s mascot. (Okay, I’m kidding about the ice sculpture… but barely.)

While the extra disease isn’t always a good thing (I can’t recall the last time I got a solid 8 hours of sleep) it certainly serves you well if you need something from me. There is nothing I love more than using my over-the-top tendencies to serve someone in need.

When my closest friend’s father passed away from COVID earlier this month, I was ready to do whatever I could to help her through it. The problem was that she lives in New Zealand. Due to travel restrictions, she wasn’t able to return to the States for his passing, nor was anyone able to travel there to offer comfort. Even the mail to New Zealand is slow – sending her something was liable to take months – not much use when what I wanted was to ease her grief in the present. I emailed her regularly to check in, I prayed for her… and it still didn’t feel like enough.

A few weeks after his death, she messaged to ask for a recommendation of a local florist so that could send flowers to the hospital staff that had cared for her father. It meant a lot to her to thank the people who brought comfort and kindness to his final days. My “extra” instincts saw her request for what it was – an opportunity to serve my friend in Spirit. New Zealand might be 8,800 miles away but the hospital where her father died was exactly 5.4 miles from my house. Flowers simply wouldn’t do.

Father, thank you for the gifts You’ve given to provide joy and peace through You.  We are so humbled by the power of Your spirit and how it works to comfort those who are hurting.  Thank you for being ever present in our times of need. I pray for Your continued guidance of our paths to know how to serve You best. 

After a trip to the grocery store, I put together twenty snack boxes for the hospital’s ICU staff brimming with healthy treats. I drove them over to the hospital and delivered them in person, along with a note from my friend that I copied by hand for her onto a thank you card. I sent her pictures of everything, even the gorgeous sunset view as I left the hospital.

“Everything about what you did today has filled me with joy and peace,” she wrote in response. “It’s like you’ve carried me through a dark place into the light.”

I know who carried her because it’s the same God that carries me. Even if you weren’t born with the extra disease, He still has you covered. The power of the Holy Spirit is over-the-top – far bigger than the miles or means that separate us.