"I have felt your prayers."

Yesterday we attended the funeral of the 22 year-old daughter of friends who was killed last week-end in an automobile accident.

It's been a while since I've attended a funeral of one so young who was taken so suddenly.

Lots of her contemporaries were present as were lots of contemporaries of her parents (like us). It was a somber time for all of us. No doubt, for many of the young people, it was a first serious time of recognizing their mortality, and you could see it on their faces. For those my age, there was not one of us who wasn't thinking "This could be my child just as easily." You could see it on our faces too.

During the week I frequently heard someone say, "I don't know how a parent gets through a time like this."

But I also heard what the first thing was the mom said on Friday when some friends arrived for the viewing. "I have felt your prayers."

What a wonderful reminder that God so often uses us and our prayers to him as the source of comfort and healing for the ones we are praying for. He lets them feel our love and concern that are expressed during prayer. And that's a big part of how anyone gets through a time like this.