How God Can Use Our Hardest Places to Draw Hearts Together

And the King will answer them, ‘Truly, I say to you, as you did it to one
of the least of these my brothers, you did it to me.’”
Matthew 25:40 (ESV)

At first, I felt her eyes on me across the gift shop, curious and watchful. A few minutes later, she rolled closer, a sweet young girl in a floral fall dress and warm tights, her face alight with interest.

“Can I help you?” she asked politely. Her name was Kindle. She was nine years old.

And she was in a wheelchair.

“Yes, I’d be glad for some help,” I said. I was looking for a birthday card for my husband, but nearly all of them were meant for women. Together, we settled on the most masculine one we could find.

She moved around the store with confidence, so at ease it almost seemed as if she owned it. I asked why she was there. With a bright smile, she said, “This is my shop.”

I couldn’t help but smile back. There was something about her presence, her poise, her curiosity, her joy, that filled the little shop with warmth.

Then it was her turn to ask a question. “Do you have any children?”

I told her that I did, four boys and four girls. Her eyes widened. “Do you have a picture?” she asked eagerly.

So I pulled out my phone and showed her our most recent family photo, a big, happy group that included a few spouses and a couple of grandchildren.

She studied it carefully. Then her face lit up with surprise as she pointed to our youngest daughter, a child-like 25-year-old. “She’s in a wheelchair!”

“Yes,” I said.

“Just like me!”

“Yes, just like you.”

Someone Just Like You

At that moment, her mother stepped out from behind the cashier’s counter to see what we were looking at so intently. Though we’d never met, introductions seemed unnecessary. She simply said, “Kindle has spina bifida.” Then she asked, “And what about your daughter?”

“She had a stroke in utero,” I replied.

Her mother nodded in understanding, as if we were discussing something as ordinary as eye color. There was no awkwardness, only quiet recognition — the kind that passes between mothers who share similar roads.

Kindle was so captivated by Avonléa’s picture that I impulsively asked if she’d like to meet her.

“Oh yes, I would!” she exclaimed.

So I drove across town to pick up Avonléa and brought her back to the shop. I pushed Avonléa’s wheelchair up the ramp, and the two girls finally met.

They were both shy at first, but soon Kindle was showing Avonléa around “her shop,” pointing out shelves and displays with pride. Within minutes, they were laughing together, kindred spirits meeting for the very first time.

I was deeply moved as I watched them, sixteen years apart, yet sharing so much in common. Both sat in their wheelchairs, smiles on their faces, simply happy to have met a new friend.

And I thought about myself, how often I let my own challenges get in the way of friendship.

And I thought about you, too.

Because it’s so easy to get caught up in our own weaknesses or trials that we nearly miss others who are struggling, others who might need a friend. Yet maybe it’s those very weaknesses that can become the bridge between us.

The Bridge to a Beautiful Friendship

As I left the shop with Avonléa, I felt an unexpected joy remembering Kindle’s sparkling smile and gentle confidence. And I couldn’t help thinking about how many people we pass each day, in stores, at church, in our neighborhoods, who might be quietly carrying burdens we never see. Sometimes the very things we consider our limitations, our vulnerabilities, or our scars are the very places where God begins to weave a new friendship.

It was a sweet reminder that He often uses what we view as weaknesses to knit hearts together in ways only He can.

God’s grace has a way of transforming our hardest places into holy invitations, opportunities to reach out, to encourage, and to reflect His love in simple but meaningful ways. So perhaps the next time you notice someone who seems different or weighed down by a challenge, you might pause long enough to smile, to speak, to listen. Because you never know, the bridge to a new friendship may be built from the very struggles you once wished away, tenderly redeemed by the One who brings beauty from brokenness.

In His Word

Hebrews 13:2 “Do not neglect to show hospitality to strangers, for thereby some have entertained angels unawares.” (ESV)

Consider the ways your own challenges or scars might be bridges to others. Who might God be calling you to notice, encourage, or simply share a kind word with today?

We Recommend

Lisa is thrilled to share these parenting resources: 100 Ways to Love Your Son & 100 Ways to Love Your Daughter with you. These practical books give you 100 specific, actionable ideas you can implement to show love to your children, no matter what age they are. And the best part? The short, bite-sized readings make it easy to start right now!

Let’s Connect

You can hear more from Lisa Jacobson on growing in faith and enjoying an everyday, joy-filled life here. You can also connect with Lisa on Instagram for biblical encouragement!