I have a friend who is more than a friend. Well, I’m grateful to say I have many friends who are more than just friends, but I’m going to highlight one today.
Last week, I met her for dinner. She walked in crying. To get a better picture: I was already at the restaurant, crying. I stood up, walked toward her for a hug and asked her, “Why are you crying?” And she said, “I’m just so sorry.” She was crying because my life is sad right now. She was crying over me. I know, right? That’s love.
She told me she had biked over to the restaurant and while on the bike trail sort of had a conversation with God about me. Sort of yelled at him about me. Not disrespectfully, mind you, because she loves God, but, well, sometimes yelling is what fits the bill. And she felt like yelling about me to God. Again, love.
She has told me on more than one occasion that she just “needs five minutes”. That she’s “getting her boots”. She’s protective of me in that way. (Just so you know, I’ve yet to take her up on her offer.) Love.
She wrote my daughter a note last week. Umm, maybe the best note my daughter has ever received. She loves my daughter. My daughter knows she could go to her for anything. Anyone who loves my children like this is in my life for the long haul. Love.
Here’s the thing. She has a huge heart. She is a superb friend. She has many dear friends, many women she invests in. I’m the type that I have an emotional maximum of how many close women friendships I can have before I just start being a bad, distracted friend, but it’s like when she meets someone new, her heart just expands to take the new one in. Love.
And on top of all this, it’s not like she’s just sitting around being people’s friend. She is a wife…and she actively cultivates her marriage with her really great husband. She is a mother…hands-down one of the best moms I’ve ever met, to four fantastic children and two more adopted ones on the way. She is a homemaker…her home makes you feel wrapped up in creativity and love the second you walk in the door. She is a writer…she expresses herself in gorgeous, honest ways. She is funny…she has the sharpest wit, slightly edgy, totally hysterical. But her best feature…if I had to pick one…she is in love with Jesus and she is learning to accept his huge love for her. Love.
If I had known when I was a little girl that I would have a friend like this when I grew up, so many of my worries would have just floated away. I’m better because of her. She makes me funnier, more grateful, more authentic. She makes me feel safe, she draws out my vulnerability, she’s taught me it’s okay to lean on someone and to let others take care of you. Love.
Bottomline, I just love her with my whole heart.
Ahhhh…..your post makes me yearn for a friend like this in my life! You are blessed, and I bet she would say the same being friends with you. =) Thanks for sharing!
loved this post and several of the other recent ones as well. Praying for you, Beth.
Your beautifully transparent posts provided opportunity for reflection on my friendships. One friend’s three-year separation included divorce, finalized about a month ago. Another friend’s separation led to reconciliation this spring. Each began the journey with grievous circumstance and much prayer, crying out to God for themselves, their children, their spouses.
With one, it was hard to so often not know anything to do. As spiritual mentor to the other, sometimes I grew weary. With both, it’s been an honor to be prayer warrior, and I turn to them for prayer and fellowship too.
You’ve shared your struggle in columns and blog posts that rightly encouraged other women in their marriages. I’m glad that now, despite so much emotional turmoil, you continue to guard your young ones’ childhood and exhort other mothers to do so as well.
We are blessed by your writings in faithful obedience to God, who deeply loves and still blesses you.