Last week, I shared a story and a lesson on how to begin sheltering friendships in my blog. This blog post is a lesson on how to continue doing so.
Throughout my years of homeschooling and serving in leadership roles within churches and nonprofit organizations, I’ve had the opportunity to run many events. One spring, I was leading a two-day tournament where students spent their time delivering speeches—again and again, in multiple rooms, to multiple audiences. It was exhilarating and nerve-wracking, both for the students and their parents.
By the end of the day, a familiar feeling settled in as we began the inevitable cleanup and reset. You start the morning knowing exactly where your personal and borrowed items are, but within hours, they seem scattered to the wind.
One family felt this all too keenly when some high-value tech items went missing. A frantic search began almost immediately, and with it came the creeping fear of worst-case scenarios. Was the item stolen? Did someone go into the building and take it? I could see the tension on my friend’s face—not just frustration at the child who may have misplaced it but also the weight of losing something so valuable.
Having been in that situation myself, both as the person searching and the parent trying to stay calm, I recognized the emotional storm brewing. Gently, I asked, “Have you prayed about it?”
A simple “no” was the reply.
So right there, in the middle of the chaos and the gathering crowd, we bowed our heads. We asked for eyes to see what we could not, for help in doing what seemed impossible—to find what was lost.
I know it can sometimes feel trite, but prayer changes everything. Within minutes, the missing items were found. It wasn’t a child’s mistake, after all—it was a helpful husband who had already placed the item in the car for safekeeping. My friend caught my eye as she left the building and mouthed a quiet, Thank you.
Almost exactly a week later, I found myself in the same situation.
I had taken a friend to an appointment, dropped them off, and was on my way home when I realized—my keys were missing. Thankfully, I could still drive since I had an electronic vehicle, but I knew I’d need those keys soon. Panic crept in as I retraced my steps. I returned to the parking lot where I had last used them and searched every nook and crevice of my car—twice—but still, nothing. My mind raced through worst-case scenarios.
That same friend and I had a scheduled call, so I dialed her number. As I poured out my frustration and anxiety over losing the keys and not knowing how I’d manage without them, she could hear the urgency in my voice.
“Let’s pray,” she offered. And so, we did.
I later found the keys. They had slipped into a side door pocket I hadn’t checked!
Sheltering Lesson #2: Be present enough to notice someone’s pain and bold enough to step into it with them. You can do this only if you’re willing to receive it when you need it.
Because sometimes, before searching frantically, before letting anxiety take hold, before losing hope, the best thing we can do is pause—and ask for help. Help from others and help from the Almighty Father. Those we can ask and those who offer are our sheltering friends.