The one about friendship.

I am so thankful to God for many, many things. But Friendship is at the top of my list.

Yesterday I wrote several long newsy emails to some friends (aren't long newsy emails the best!) and I saved the one for my dear Bethers for last. Why? Because she is one of my dearest friends in this whole world...in fact I can count on one hand my dearest friends.

See I have some trust issues.

I had several disastrous friendships in elementary, middle, and high school. Friendships that left me hurt and very confused. So by the time I went to college for the first time I thought it was time to start over. And at first I felt so excited and then I thought I had the best friend and roommate ever...and one day it turned so bad I still can not think about it with out cringing.

So I shut down in the friendship department.

I had three friends at church in my early 20's and I adore them still today...but I was never completely myself with them. I pretended a lot. Luckily our friendships shifted and changed, but in good ways and I am so blessed to have a Becky, a Shuana, and a beautiful Laina in my life today. Laina is the first "home" friend I showed my true self too and she loved me anyway :)

And then I had a second chance. (My Jesus, thank you for giving those second chances!) I was accepted to a small Christian college. I was so nervous! I was at least 2 years older than everyone else and a transfer student. I lived in a trailer my first year...with 6 other girls. From the get go I decided to just be me. I knew this was where I was supposed to be and there was no way I was going to spend the next 3 years pretending.

So I let my hair down and was my silly yet introverted self. And come to found out...those girls liked me for me! Shalerie, Lisa, Cody, Beth, Allison, and Anna liked me for me. And two of those girls became my best friends.

Allison and Beth loved me and supported me in ways that I cannot begin to explain and they held me up when I hit the depths of despair after my parents marriage fell apart.

We graduated together.

I watched each of them get engaged and married.

And Bethers has the sweetest most precious little girl I can imagine (who I am dying to see and it is going to happen...soon!)

For three years I had my two friends just a hop, skip, and a jump away. And then we graduated and moved away.

And as I wrote these emails yesterday I was so very sad that I could not have a face to face conversation with them...

but God reminded me of the goodness of friendship.

See we can pick up right where we left off, there are no awkward moments, just pure JOY at the idea of being togther in one place.

And while our friendships have shifted and changed one thing remains constant. Our love for one another. And this is where I know friendships are from our Father. Because that love, it is a choice, we don't have to encourage one another and stand by one another, but we do. Out of a love for one another.

A friend loves at all times Proverbs 17:17a

And God continues to bring special and wonderful people into my life. Especially online...I am in awe of how He has used something so big to make the world so small with friendship!

Our God supplies all of our needs, including the best friends a girl could ask for :)

So Blessed,

Comments

[Laurie Ann]

I just wanted to stop in and say congratulations for being one of the Internet Cafe’s Top 100 Christian Women’s Blogs of 2008! Your blog truly does bless!

[Denise]

Congrats on being a top blog, bless you.

[Andrea]

I totally get where you're coming from on the trust thing. I'm still a work in progress on that one, but indeed, the best friendships I have are the ones that are with those who accept me just as I am.

This was a beautiful post, Christy! Easy to see why you're on the Top 100 list! :)