A girl, her friend, and the Holy Spirit that speaks.

Yesterday in one of my second grade classes, a young girl, with tears streaming down her face, walked in and sat down quietly next to her friend.

Once the class settled down, I walked over to her to make sure she was okay. She didn’t say a word and her tears began to fall even harder. Her friend chimed in, “Ms. B, I can tell you what’s going on. Last week, her tooth started hurting at recess. Yesterday, it was hurting her so bad and bled a little. Today, it’s hurting her still. She’s been to the nurse everyday. They’re giving her ice but it’s not helping. She’s also tired and misses her mom. She’ll be okay, she just needs some rest. It has been a long week for her.” Amazed at her ability to state exactly what her friend was feeling. I looked back at the girl with tears falling from her eyes. She smiled at her friend, let out a deep sigh, and nodded in agreement.

Seemingly after that moment, she was perfectly fine. Was the pain gone? No. Did it change her circumstances? No. Did she still miss her mom? Yes. Did she need rest? Absolutely. But quickly, she calmed down. Almost as if in this moment when her friend intervened on her behalf, the strain to put words to her worry was instantly alleviated.

I walked back to my desk in awe of the accuracy her friend displayed. She knew exactly what happened, exactly what hurt, exactly what she missed, and exactly what she needed. Sitting back down, I had an aha moment with The Holy Spirit when I heard the echo of Romans 8:26, “In the same way, the Spirit helps us in our weakness. We do not know what we ought to pray for, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us through wordless groans”

This concept of the Holy Spirit has always left me a little mind boggled. If God knows what we need before we ask (Matthew 6:8) then why must the Holy Spirit intercede on our behalf?

But this, right here, is what the Holy Spirit does.

When our words are overcome by worry and weeping, He speaks on our behalf. He knows exactly what happened, exactly what hurt, exactly what we miss, and exactly what we need.

“Where the Spirit of The Lord is there is Freedom.” (2 Corinthians 3:17)

Freedom to hurt.

Freedom to dance.

Freedom to heal.

Freedom to cry.

Freedom to laugh.

Freedom to grieve.

Freedom to hope.

Freedom to rest.

Freedom to trust that when we don’t know what to pray, the Holy Spirit intercedes with the very thing that we need.