encouragement, encouragement, and more encouragement

Day 8 and 9.
Someone once told me my spiritual gift was encouragement. I think that person was right. It seems to be where I feel the spirit leading me to most often.
day 8: One of my small group girls was crying during the worship, and I didn't get a chance to comfort her on the scene, as I was playing the music and other students surrounded her. After the kids dispersed, I sought her out to walk her home.
We walked and talked, and she let me know what was going on.
"Ah I understand!" I exclaimed over and over again.
I completely understood why she was crying and what she was going through--I had experienced the same feelings in middle school, high school, and even in college. I find that we are very similar--playing the same type of role socially and in friendships--and we had become defined and were/are treated in that particular way and nothing more--I cannot go into specifics as I told her would not tell. But essentially it came back to trusting God--praying to God that we can forgive and understand that God's love is enough. His love is enough for us--and his love so abundant, so deep, so wide, was more than enough.
Day 9
I believe God planned it, as I didn't know this friend needed encouragement. I called this friend over to my place so I could share with her. I began to share with her all the amazing things God had been teaching me--the amazing fulfillment and joy I felt when loving as we were made to love. Then she began to open up to me about her struggles and doubts of God's reality and her faith--as she felt she was slipping away. So I shared about times of my doubts, but that I had extremely strong convictions, and I told her these convictions and stories of people I knew had witnessed the supernatural power of God. I shared my personal stories...of how I knew I was not given gifts of a supernatural nature, but he did give me the capacity to love in small ways and how wonderful that has been. There is evidence of God's goodness from where there is an absence of God, and where the presence of God has influenced society in ways they are unaware of. Afterwards we prayed together, and I felt that there was rejuvenation in her heart. praise God.