Cut off from the herd

I don't sleep well. Haven't since I was pregnant with Nate. Okay, haven't since I lived the party girl circuit and closed down the bars four nights straight every week with a full time job and full weekends. On most Saturdays I had to get up early and get to the pool or the lake to work on my tan. My sleeplessness allows me extra Bible and prayer time and also to watch television I wouldn't normally watch. I was watching animal planet and they were showing lions cutting their prey off from their herd. It was fascinating. (And brutal and ugly, yet natural).


I thought about this today in context of Scripture. Hebrews 10:25 says "not forsaking our own assembling together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another; and all the more as you see the day drawing near." Very clear that we are to spend time with other Christians. Ecclesiastes 4:12 And if one can overpower him who is alone, two can resist him. A cord of three strands is not quickly torn apart. No explanation needed.
I regularly talk about my girlfriends. The need for girlfriends. The need for godly women in our lives. If we get cut off from our "herd" (sorry girls) we are so vulnerable. We are much weaker. We live our own lives. We own our faith. We have to stand. But we need a herd. We need others lifting us up in prayer. We need others that we are lifting up in prayer. We need to strengthen each other, and draw strength from those around us. I don't ever call or text friends in the middle of the night (except Sheila to cancel a 5:00 a.m. run) but I know I could. And knowing I'm not alone, ever, gives me the strength to make it. First and foremost I rely on God. But I can't sit down at Starbucks with him or lift weights with him, I can't go to Olive Garden and spend three hours laughing with him. I can and do run 15 miles with him, but I need other women from my herd reminding me of God's love and provision. His past acts in my life. His goodness and unfailing mercies.

I'm still on my soapbox about my girlfriends, or now I may just call them my "herd".