Going deeper than a ‘hello’
On the estate where I live I sometimes bump into our neighbours out and about. We would exchange a hello and nothing more, until I discovered the family opposite us had a son exactly one month older than my daughter. We instantly connected over nap schedules, sleep deprivation and baby milestones. Whenever we saw each other, we’d have a little chat.
A few months down the line they began to face unexpected challenges as they discovered their son had significant hearing loss and developmental delays. On top of that there were disagreements with their next-door neighbours while they struggled with uncertainties about their living situation.
As I was pushing the pram one afternoon, I saw the Dad and his son sitting outside the local café. He looked subdued and tired. And even though I was tired and wanted to get home, I felt an unexpected nudge from the Holy Spirit to speak with him.
He openly shared his situation with me, which he never would have if it weren’t for our shared parenthood struggles. I asked if I could pray for him there and then. He was pleasantly surprised and eagerly agreed. At the time, it felt out-of-the-ordinary to stand there praying on the street, but he was so thankful, and as I walked away it actually felt like the most normal thing to do – to pray with a friend like that.
Just being ‘you’ goes a long way
As I got to know other parents this past year, I realised how naturally and how quickly we connected, despite being from different backgrounds and situations. We face similar day-to-day joys and challenges, and other mums are often very open and willing to share vulnerabilities – even after we’ve just met. There’s a uniqueness in this stage of life to share what gets me through – my faith in God’s sovereign care, his faithfulness in uncertain situations, and the reality of God’s daily presence on the hard days.
A close mum-friend of mine is Jewish, we met on a mum’s app – full of women from all walks of life just wanting to connect with other mums. We can openly chat about the differences in our beliefs. It feels so normal to talk about prayer and my relationship with God with her.
Recently while catching up over coffee at her house, my daughter asked to sing a Christian song she’d recently learnt, and on another occasion my daughter asked me if we could pray. When others see you living out your faith in real life, talking about Jesus comes more naturally and genuinely.
Even an invite to church was easier than I first thought. All the free baby groups are run by churches, so it’s very normal and common for mums to walk into a church multiple times a week, even when they wouldn’t naturally come along to a Sunday service.
Just this week I invited my friend to a kids’ Easter craft evangelistic event at a local church on a Saturday afternoon, and for the first time ever she said she’d like to come.
When you turn up exactly as you are, sleep‑deprived, with your wriggly toddler or a crying baby, you’re saying something powerful – ‘I may not have it all together, but I’m here and I’m real’. People relate to that, whoever they are. People open up to you.
God doesn’t require us to have it altogether. He can use a simple prayer and a life that just trusts him to do his work through a surrendered heart.
