Do you find yourself far from home? These days, whether through work, marriage, ministry or travel, we can often find ourselves somewhere new. That could be a new town, a new state or province, or even a new nation. While we are always thankful for our natural families, there are times when we find ourselves far from where we were born.

The Bible in Psalm 86:6 tells us, “God sets the lonely in families…. “ I’ve found this to be so true in the natural and also in the spiritual. That’s where our spiritual sisters come in.

Spiritual sisters

When I found myself living far from home, I came to the realization I needed my sisters around me—my spiritual sisters.

This is particularly true if living in other nations. Travel and a desire to see the world brought this Scottish-born gal to Asia. I was backpacking, hitchhiking, travelling, and seeing all I could see.

I thought I was simply travelling through. But God had other plans. I got saved in Hong Kong. And I got a job there. I fell in love with the land and the people. And found myself living and working there for eight years. In Scotland, I was part of a very large extended family.

My mom was one of twelve children, so not only did I have my immediate family, but I also had cousins by the dozens. Living in Hong Kong was my first time residing in a foreign land—and without my family. I was grateful for phone calls, emails and letters across the oceans.

 But there are also times you need family near at hand too. God was about to teach me something: the importance of spiritual sisters.

I believe this is true for all of us, especially so when we live far from home.

Sisters in the single season

 A simple Mexican brunch on a Sunday after church service in the Mid Levels district of Hong Kong. Four single gals together. We chatted, laughed, and had fun.

And we shared our hearts, encouraged and supported one another in prayer. It was there that we prayed our first prayers for our future husbands. All of us were far from home and our families. At the end of the brunch, one of us said these amazing words: “Hey, we should do this again next week.”

And a spiritual sisterhood was born. That Sunday, brunch became a weekly gathering. That connection, support, and prayer are something I will treasure all of my life. We all grew so much in our faith during this special season.

The prayers for a future husband worked and would take me on another journey across the world to Canada to meet the man I would marry. I write about that journey in my book “Goodbye Singleness, a love story to make you believe in love.”

Sisters in the season of being a new mom. I found myself a newlywed in Canada to my African-born husband. And our brand-new baby boy. My family was in Scotland, my husband’s family was in Africa, and again I was in a new land. I prayed to the Lord: “How do I raise a son in a foreign land without aunties, grannies, and cousins?”

Indeed God brought aunties and grannies to be a blessing to our family. And He also brought sisters who were in that new mom season. I went to my very first mom-and-baby group.

I was late and overwhelmed, new to town, finding parking, and adjusting to the upheaval of travelling with a new baby. I arrived mid-class and obviously during sharing time.

I felt awful arriving late and disrupting the group activity in progress. But the mom-and-baby group took it in stride, welcoming me. They were going around the circle, each sharing their biggest challenge in motherhood. I had barely settled in, and it was my turn to share.

Somehow I found the courage to share my response with this group I was just meeting for the first time. I will never forget that moment, and tears well up as I write. The group seemed to move as one and physically leaned in toward me. I felt carried by their care.