Some People Enter for a Season, Others Stay for Destiny: The Gift of Distant Friendship

Some friendships aren’t loud.
They don’t need a crowd.
They don’t require constant posts or proximity.
But when storms hit—literally and spiritually—they show up.

Last year, on July 3rd, 2023, Hurricane Beryl ripped through the south side of St. Elizabeth, Jamaica, and left devastation behind like a thief in the night. Trees were broken, roofs were peeled away, and for some of us, our sense of normalcy was gone in a single day.

In my home, we lost electricity for over three weeks.
But that wasn’t the worst part.
We lost internet for months.

Now, picture this: I’m in my final year of college, carrying four crucial courses, already under pressure, and now I’m disconnected—completely.
No virtual classes.
No access to upload assignments.
No way to communicate with lecturers.
No chance of keeping up.

I had no choice but to consider dropping out.

But then… something unexpected happened.
God used a friend from afar to carry me through the storm.

When Distance Doesn’t Mean Disconnected

I met Izu—a kind, focused, and God-fearing classmate—during our final year of college. At the time, I was only taking two courses. But we connected quickly, held similar values, and realized we both had goals to finish strong and raise our GPAs.

We started encouraging each other daily. We prayed for each other. We committed to studying harder. We kept each other accountable.

But I had no idea the friendship God was planting would turn into a lifeline.

He Carried My Academic Load—Literally

When Hurricane Beryl knocked us offline and left me scrambling, Izu didn’t flinch.

Without ever being asked, he:

• Took over responsibilities in all four of my courses
• Uploaded my assignments when I couldn’t log in
• Sat through lectures on my behalf
• Communicated with group members and lecturers for both of us
• Checked in daily to make sure I was okay
• And never once complained

Then, when the following semester started, and I was still without steady internet access and seriously debating giving up, he stepped in again.

He carried the weight of eight courses between the two of us—his four and mine—while still juggling his own life, family, and responsibilities.

This wasn’t friendship. This was divine assistance.

And here’s what makes it even more admirable — he wasn’t even doing the same degree as me. I was completing my Bachelor’s in Business Administration, and he was in a completely different world, pursuing a Bachelor’s Degree in Computer Science. Yet he took on my business courses as if they were his own. That’s not just friendship — that’s selfless love, sacrifice, and commitment.

And now? We’re graduating. Together. Because God really does place the right people at the right time.

God-Sent Support Doesn’t Always Look the Way You Expect

You’d think if God was going to help, it would come through a lecturer, or a scholarship, or a local support group.

But instead, God used a classmate from a foreign land, someone I’d never met in person, someone across the ocean. And He used him to literally carry me through my darkest academic storm.

It reminded me of a truth that changed me:

Some blessings don’t come in the form of miracles.
They come in the form of people.

And if we’re not paying attention, we’ll miss it. Just like the yam my mother and I found recently—massive, mature, and hidden in plain sight. It had been there the whole time. We just didn’t see it… until we stepped outside and looked.

That’s what this friendship has been for me.
A blessing buried in plain sight.

5 Lessons I’ve Learned About Long-Distance Friendship & Divine Timing

1. You Don’t Need Proximity to Be Present

We often assume that someone has to live near us to support us. But true friendship isn’t measured by geography. It’s measured by intentionality.

2. Accountability Partners Make Destiny Sustainable

Without Izu’s encouragement, planning, and consistency, I might’ve dropped out. Sometimes you don’t need a solution—you need someone.

3. God Sends Help Before the Storm Hits

Looking back, I realize we met just before everything went dark. That’s how God works. He prepares lifelines before the flood.

4. Stewarding Relationships Is a Spiritual Discipline

Don’t take people for granted. Nurture the relationships that God places in your life. Check in. Show up. Be reciprocal. Friendship is a seed that yields in crisis.

5. When You Can’t Stand, Let Someone Else Hold You Up

Pride would’ve told me to suffer in silence. But humility lets me receive help. And help came in a form only God could orchestrate.

A Moment to Say Thank You

IzuChukwu Francis, I know you’ll probably read this.
And I just want to say: Thank you.
You didn’t have to carry my courses, but you did.
You didn’t have to pray with me, but you did.
You didn’t have to stay consistent, but you did.

This degree will have both our names written in the transcript.
And I believe God used you not just to support me, but to show me the depth of how He shows up through people.

You’re more than a friend.
You’re a God-ordained connection. And I honor that.

A Prayer of Gratitude

God, thank You for divine relationships.
Thank you to the people who carry burdens we cannot bear.
Thank you to the ones who show up when everything else falls apart.
Help me to be a good steward of those You place in my life.
And help me to never forget that while storms may shake me, you always send someone to steady me.
May I be that someone for others, too.
In Jesus’ name,
Amen.

—Alecia S. Spence