We sent Timothy

We sent Timothy...to strengthen and encourage you in your faith... 1 Thessalonians 3:2

Last night, we were in a meeting with a couple and we were going over an exercise of "unmet expectations." The exercise lists about 15 statements that some people believe are true. In the exercise, each partner must put a "T" next to any statement they think is true and then we discuss it. One of the statements that always stands out to me is, "If I have to ask, it's not as meaningful." Now, I understand, people aren't mind readers, but at the same time, if you knew me very well and cared for my needs, for the most part, I feel that person should be able to pick out what I need or would desire and I shouldn't have to ask. Granted, I understand that puts a lot of pressure on the other person, but this is a statement I struggle with.

So, with that in mind, there was an event that happened about 6 to 8 months ago and a friend, whom I felt should have been there for me, wasn't. Well, another friend of mine who had been there in other ways kept apologizing to me for not being there in the way that I expected my first friend to be there. I don't know if you do this, but I tend to fit my friends into certain categories based upon their personalities. Certain friends are phone call friends, others are hang out friends, with some friends you show up with a Dr. Pepper and chocolate, with others you offer to clean, etc., etc. My friends have categories. Well, my friend who kept apologizing didn't fit into the other friend's category and my apologizing friend knew that I was hurt by my other friend.

Until I read that scripture this morning, I never understood why my one friend kept apologizing to me. "So when we could stand it no longer, we thought it best to be left by ourselves in Athens. We sent Timothy, who is our brother and God's fellow worker in spreading the gospel of Christ, to strengthen and encourage you in your faith, so that no one would be unsettled by these trials," (1 Thessalonians 3:1-3). In the structure of our church, leaders are not left to stand on their own. We have more than one pastor, more than one small group coach, more than one small group leader, and more than one church member. In Noah's day, all the animals traveled in pairs. In marriage, you travel in pairs. It's not considered a "friendship" if there is only one.

I later discovered, after my trial had ended, that my friend who could not be there for me was undergoing her own heavy trial, but didn't tell me and wouldn't let anyone else tell me. But what she did do for me, was she sent me her friend--who was my friend, too--so that I would still be encouraged. The Bible says, "Two are better than one...If one falls down, his friend can help him up," (Ecclesiastes 4:9-10). That's what my friend did for me and what Paul did through Timothy for the Thessalonians. I pray that you have someone who will do that for you.