1 00:00:02,680 --> 00:00:03,520 Speaker 1: Life Audio. 2 00:00:10,760 --> 00:00:13,640 Speaker 2: Welcome to the Cross Flow devotional. We're glad to have 3 00:00:13,720 --> 00:00:17,560 Speaker 2: you listening with us. Today's topic is how God will 4 00:00:17,560 --> 00:00:20,400 Speaker 2: help you reconnect with old friends who come to your mind. 5 00:00:21,000 --> 00:00:24,080 Speaker 1: Will return with the devotional after a brief message from 6 00:00:24,120 --> 00:00:40,120 Speaker 1: our sponsors. God will help you reconnect with an old friend, 7 00:00:40,720 --> 00:00:44,880 Speaker 1: Written and read by Whitney Hoppler. For the spirit God 8 00:00:44,960 --> 00:00:48,680 Speaker 1: gave us does not make us timid, but gives us power, love, 9 00:00:48,800 --> 00:00:54,600 Speaker 1: and self discipline. Two Timothy one seven NIV. It had 10 00:00:54,640 --> 00:00:57,280 Speaker 1: been years since I'd seen my friend Pam. When I 11 00:00:57,320 --> 00:01:00,760 Speaker 1: started to think of her again, she kept coming to mind, 12 00:01:00,960 --> 00:01:03,640 Speaker 1: but I kept hesitating to reach out to her because 13 00:01:03,680 --> 00:01:05,800 Speaker 1: I thought it might be awkward to try to catch up. 14 00:01:05,920 --> 00:01:09,080 Speaker 1: After all the time that had passed since I got married, 15 00:01:09,480 --> 00:01:13,520 Speaker 1: she stayed single, and we drifted apart. One day, I 16 00:01:13,600 --> 00:01:16,240 Speaker 1: prayed about it, and the Holy Spirit seemed to be 17 00:01:16,319 --> 00:01:19,679 Speaker 1: encouraging me to contact her. I called the number I 18 00:01:19,720 --> 00:01:22,120 Speaker 1: had for Pam, only to find that it was no 19 00:01:22,240 --> 00:01:25,560 Speaker 1: longer valid. At that Sunday, when I went up to 20 00:01:25,600 --> 00:01:29,120 Speaker 1: the altar for communion at church, there in the communion 21 00:01:29,160 --> 00:01:29,679 Speaker 1: line with. 22 00:01:29,720 --> 00:01:32,880 Speaker 2: Me was Pam. She had recently moved back to my 23 00:01:33,040 --> 00:01:36,520 Speaker 2: area and joined my church without even knowing that was 24 00:01:36,560 --> 00:01:40,039 Speaker 2: where I currently worshiped. But God's spirit had made a 25 00:01:40,040 --> 00:01:44,000 Speaker 2: way for us to meet and reconnect. Have you ever 26 00:01:44,080 --> 00:01:47,520 Speaker 2: had an old friend suddenly come to mind. You might 27 00:01:47,600 --> 00:01:50,240 Speaker 2: not know why that person you've lost touch with has 28 00:01:50,280 --> 00:01:54,120 Speaker 2: popped into your thoughts, but the memory lingers. You may 29 00:01:54,160 --> 00:01:58,080 Speaker 2: have mixed feelings about it, excitement to try to reconnect, 30 00:01:58,440 --> 00:02:00,720 Speaker 2: but fear that too much time had gone by to 31 00:02:00,800 --> 00:02:04,600 Speaker 2: really be friends again. Fear can take over and stop 32 00:02:04,680 --> 00:02:07,880 Speaker 2: you from reaching out to your old friend. You may 33 00:02:07,920 --> 00:02:11,080 Speaker 2: have a whole bunch of fear based excuses for not 34 00:02:11,160 --> 00:02:15,040 Speaker 2: trying to reconnect, like it's been too long, it'll be 35 00:02:15,120 --> 00:02:18,360 Speaker 2: too awkward, or that your former friend probably doesn't want 36 00:02:18,400 --> 00:02:22,359 Speaker 2: to hear from you. But two Timothy one seven reminds 37 00:02:22,360 --> 00:02:24,480 Speaker 2: you that God didn't give you a spirit of fear, 38 00:02:25,520 --> 00:02:29,639 Speaker 2: so the hesitation you feel doesn't come from God. According 39 00:02:29,680 --> 00:02:33,400 Speaker 2: to two Timothy one seven, God gives you power, love, 40 00:02:33,520 --> 00:02:37,800 Speaker 2: and self discipline, and when fear tells you to stay silent, 41 00:02:38,520 --> 00:02:42,200 Speaker 2: God offers you courage to move forward despite feeling afraid. 42 00:02:43,280 --> 00:02:45,919 Speaker 2: If you're thinking a lot about an old friend, it 43 00:02:46,400 --> 00:02:50,440 Speaker 2: may not be random. Sometimes the Holy Spirit gently, but 44 00:02:50,600 --> 00:02:55,840 Speaker 2: persistently encourages you to reconnect. Relationships are important to God. 45 00:02:56,480 --> 00:03:00,840 Speaker 2: He often works through connections between people. Out might be 46 00:03:00,880 --> 00:03:03,959 Speaker 2: an important part of God's work and both of your life. 47 00:03:05,240 --> 00:03:08,440 Speaker 2: You'll still likely feel afraid because of the uncertainty of 48 00:03:08,480 --> 00:03:11,679 Speaker 2: what will happen when you do reach out, but God 49 00:03:11,720 --> 00:03:14,360 Speaker 2: will give you the courage you need to act even 50 00:03:14,360 --> 00:03:18,120 Speaker 2: when you feel unsure. You don't have to plan the 51 00:03:18,160 --> 00:03:22,040 Speaker 2: perfect message or know how the conversation will go. You 52 00:03:22,120 --> 00:03:24,880 Speaker 2: don't have to fix the past or explain everything that 53 00:03:24,919 --> 00:03:28,520 Speaker 2: went wrong. You can start by just sending a simple 54 00:03:28,560 --> 00:03:32,000 Speaker 2: text or email that says something like bye, you've been 55 00:03:32,040 --> 00:03:35,960 Speaker 2: on my mind lately. I hope you're doing well. That's it. 56 00:03:36,560 --> 00:03:40,120 Speaker 2: God can work with that. You may be worried about 57 00:03:40,160 --> 00:03:45,320 Speaker 2: rejection or silence. That's understandable, but remember God never asks 58 00:03:45,360 --> 00:03:49,040 Speaker 2: you to control how someone responds. He only invites you 59 00:03:49,120 --> 00:03:52,080 Speaker 2: to trust Him with the process. When you step out 60 00:03:52,120 --> 00:03:56,040 Speaker 2: in faith, you're placing the results in God's hands. No 61 00:03:56,080 --> 00:03:59,080 Speaker 2: matter how your old friend responds, God is still at 62 00:03:59,120 --> 00:04:02,880 Speaker 2: work in both of yours lives. Reconnecting with an old 63 00:04:02,880 --> 00:04:07,120 Speaker 2: friend can also stir up past pain. You may remember 64 00:04:07,200 --> 00:04:12,040 Speaker 2: misunderstandings or conflicts that cause the friendship to end. If 65 00:04:12,080 --> 00:04:15,880 Speaker 2: that's the case, ask God to guide you before you 66 00:04:15,920 --> 00:04:19,120 Speaker 2: reach out. God can help you approach the situation with 67 00:04:19,279 --> 00:04:23,159 Speaker 2: honesty and humility. And God can also help you forgive 68 00:04:23,200 --> 00:04:26,880 Speaker 2: and ask for forgiveness. Just like God gives you grace 69 00:04:26,920 --> 00:04:29,760 Speaker 2: and mercy, you can give your old friend grace and 70 00:04:29,800 --> 00:04:32,080 Speaker 2: mercy so you can both move forward. 71 00:04:32,120 --> 00:04:32,400 Speaker 1: Well. 72 00:04:33,400 --> 00:04:37,320 Speaker 2: It's also possible that reconnecting won't lead to a restored friendship, 73 00:04:37,839 --> 00:04:41,680 Speaker 2: and that's okay. Sometimes the purpose is just peace and 74 00:04:41,760 --> 00:04:45,719 Speaker 2: closure for both of you. Trust that God knows what 75 00:04:45,839 --> 00:04:48,640 Speaker 2: this connection is meant to be, and just follow where 76 00:04:48,680 --> 00:04:52,600 Speaker 2: God leads you. As you think about reaching out, pray 77 00:04:52,640 --> 00:04:56,800 Speaker 2: and ask God to fight anxiety for you. Ask God's 78 00:04:56,839 --> 00:05:00,320 Speaker 2: spirit to prepare both you and your old friend and 79 00:05:00,360 --> 00:05:03,640 Speaker 2: to give you the right words to reach out. Then 80 00:05:03,760 --> 00:05:06,320 Speaker 2: contact your old friend and rely on the courage God 81 00:05:06,360 --> 00:05:10,599 Speaker 2: will give you. God will handle all the rest intersecting 82 00:05:10,680 --> 00:05:14,039 Speaker 2: faith in life. As you consider why it's important to 83 00:05:14,080 --> 00:05:17,880 Speaker 2: ask God for help like courage to reconnect old friends, 84 00:05:18,400 --> 00:05:22,280 Speaker 2: reflect on these questions. Who is an old friend who 85 00:05:22,279 --> 00:05:25,880 Speaker 2: has been on your mind lately? What's currently keeping you 86 00:05:25,920 --> 00:05:31,159 Speaker 2: from reaching out to him or her Which gift from God? Power, love, 87 00:05:31,320 --> 00:05:34,200 Speaker 2: or self discipline? Do you need the most to reach 88 00:05:34,240 --> 00:05:37,279 Speaker 2: out to your old friend? Are you willing to leave 89 00:05:37,320 --> 00:05:43,159 Speaker 2: the results of reconnecting in God's hands? Further reading First 90 00:05:43,240 --> 00:05:49,120 Speaker 2: John for eighteen, Hebrews ten twenty four, Romans twelve eighteen, 91 00:05:49,920 --> 00:05:55,719 Speaker 2: Philippians four six through seven, Proverbs three five through six. 92 00:06:00,200 --> 00:06:03,200 Speaker 2: Thanks for listening to today's devotional. 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