Take Down a Lie – Hang Up a Truth
I was feeling overwhelmed with the number of people to visit and just how long it takes to build relationships of any depth.

As I prayed for each of my friends I felt the Lord saying ‘Stop getting stressed. Just continue to be a good friend, be there for people and be My truth in their life.’

As I walked to the teashop that day I just prayed God would deepen our friendship and somehow I could be His truth in Miss S’s life.  The teashop had its usual dingy appearance, but Miss S was delighted to see me and we quickly caught up on all the news.

As we talked she got up and started to take down a PTT doll, one of her lucky charms, that was hanging over her counter. I groaned inwardly as I realized she was going to give it to me. How do I deal with this one? We chatted about its round shape and how if you knock it over it always stands up again and she explained how it would help me and bring me luck when difficulties come.

I explained that I was happy to receive it, as it would remind me of her but, I couldn’t depend on it because I can only depend on God when difficulties come. She looked slightly bemused as if to say ‘what’s all the fuss?’

But then I noticed that, next to the hook she’d taken down the doll from, was the Christmas card that I had made for her. She then started telling me how much she loved the card and that it had real value because I had made it for her.  I had also written out in my own writing the true meaning of Christmas inside.

Even though she didn’t comment on the true meaning of Christmas written inside the card, I realized something significant had happened: through a simple act of friendship, the making and giving of a card. She had taken down one of her ‘lies’ and hung up “a truth” in its place.

As I left the teashop that day I rejoiced that I left a truth hanging there, above her counter and I was taking away in my bag one of her lies. 

• Pray God would use His children to replace the lies in their friends’ lives with His Truth.