Women of Valor. My Girlfriends are Superheros

Do good wherever you go. After a while, the good you do will come back to you. Ecclesiastes 11:1 (ERV)

In thinking about women of valor, I always return to the friends and family who model faith, fortitude, and resilience. Let me tell you a story from several years ago…
The bottom fell out last week, and since I haven’t figured out that whole cloning thing, I simply couldn’t do it on my own. Fortunately, I had no need. In rode the cavalry to handle everything way better than I could’ve orchestrated.

And That is My Blessing.

Often, when you need help, people stand lovingly by, awaiting direction. We’re not those girls. We jump in and do, hoping it’s the right thing. If it’s not, we pray that what we’ve done won’t offend, create additional havoc, work, problems, etc. We’re just trying to help. We just do. Not like we’re storing up favors, not like we care if anyone ever does back,

…just because.

This was my week. I couldn’t be in every place at once, so a friend made up guest space and collected my children for a night or two. Another packed up my babies AND my dirty laundry, and said I could pick them up sooner if I just had to, but she had it covered.

Really.

My friends had their friends call me with technical expertise AND prayers (and I mean EXPERT, both at advising and praying). I had people asking other people to pray for my family, people I sort of know and many more I’ve never met because God knows us and loves us and insists that we know Divine Grace by sending people to be The Hands and Voice and Arms that hold us close.

We were covered, in ways large and small. One girlfriend drove 11 miles to bring Starbucks to the hospital, kissed me, made me cry in profound gratitude, and left. A deacon from church called to pray. Friends in various time zones and locations reached out in ways big and small to make things work. Bought pizzas. Made jokes. Made arrangements. Last I heard, there were people on at least 3 continents and several Caribbean Islands pleading before the Lord on our behalf. That’s God.

Did I mention that a girlfriend dropped off a chicken pot pie? Not Banquet from the frozen aisle, I mean roasted chicken, crunchy vegetables and a flaky pastry crust that nearly brought tears to my red and bleary eyes? And then she said something. She said the good we’ve done came back to us. Ecclesiastes 11:1. The Golden Rule. Karma. God’s Unlimited Grace.
In that moment, I was deeply thankful for the times I’d been caught in the act of doing God’s Will. It’s a blessing to get launched off a cliff only to fall into the Arms of God in the form of friends and family who do everything you need and much you never thought you’d need and stuff you hope you can remember when somebody else’s time comes, though it is your fervent prayer that no one you know or love will ever suffer having to be launched off THAT cliff or one like it.
In that moment, I remembered that line I’d read in an email or a book somewhere…

Friends are angels who lift us to our feet when our wings have forgotten how to fly.

Now everybody knows that the only people capable of heavy lifting when your wings don’t work would have to be superheroes, right? My women of valor include my superhero girlfriends. My prayer is that you have your own. If not, get some.

Chelle Wilson
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