Well, here we are! Stuck almost right in between Thanksgiving and Christmas. This year. Where HAS it gone?
If you’re anything like me you fill these days with as much Christmas music, peppermint and gingerbread-flavored anything, Christmas movies, and Christmas decorations and lights as you can stand.
Immediately following Thanksgiving I planned on sitting down to write about the things I felt thankful for in my life. You know, kind of the standard “it’s that time of year to tell everyone what I’m thankful for” type blog. However, something kept me from doing that. I just could not bring myself to do it so I waited until I felt the time was right.
First, I am going to have to provide some context for what I plan on writing about. I, as mentioned in the About section, am a serious extrovert. I thrive off of interactions with people. I find my energy (most of the time) in being with people. Moreover, there are certain people in my life who reenergize me more than others and I believe that’s the case for everyone. Those closest to me are, in my opinion, God’s angels whom He has placed in my life. They each serve a purpose and no purpose is greater than another. When I build a friendship with someone it is invaluable to me. I will work with every ounce that I have to show that person that I care. I will open myself completely to them because I feel that one of the best ways to show someone that they can trust you is to trust them first. One of my favorite verses has always been John 15:13.
“Greater love has no one than this: to lay down one’s life for one’s friends.”
For obvious reasons this verse gets quoted often in the Army. Furthermore, I seem to seek out individuals who are closed off or have walls up. That is not to say that I do not have friends who do not possess those characteristics, but I will work extra hard to gain the trust of those who do not trust easily. It is not easy and it comes with a lot of personal risk and vulnerability but it is just a part of who I am and how God created me. Beyond my faith and my family there is nothing more important to me than the relationships with the friends in my life.
So there is the background to this blog. My deep, unconditional love for my friends and the central role they play in my life.
Second, in this season of thanksgiving the Lord has been focusing my attention on being grateful and joyful. Grateful for the struggles, grateful for the victories, and grateful for everything in between. During a recent quiet time I read the following from Jesus Calling:
“As you go through this day, look for tiny treasures strategically placed along the way. I lovingly go before you and plant little pleasures to brighten your day. Look carefully for them, and pluck them one by one. When you reach the end of the day, you will have gathered a lovely bouquet. Offer it up to Me with a grateful heart. Receive My Peace as you lie down to sleep, with thankful thoughts playing a lullaby in your mind.”
This short paragraph spoke to me because I have been doing just that. I have been finding myself truly appreciating all of the little things throughout my days. Everything from the simple delight of music blasting through my loft (sorry neighbors) to the release of all the different Christmas drinks at Starbucks (yes, I’m one of those people) to a hilarious text conversation involving my girlfriends full of ridiculousness and shenanigans. I, however, do not credit anything other than the Lord with this joy. To be able to walk through life and find joy in all the small things is a product of His Love.
“And it is a good thing to receive wealth from God and the good health to enjoy it. To enjoy your work and accept your lot in life-that is indeed a gift from God. People who do this rarely look with sorrow on the past, for God has given them reasons for joy.” Ecclesiastes 5:19-20
You may be wondering why I’ve spent the last few minutes writing on both my affinity for personal relationships as well as my focus on being grateful and joyful but I promise I have an end state in mind in all of this.
You see, I am getting ready to say goodbye to a very close friend for what will amount to almost two years because we have both been called to the World Race but on two separate races where I will end up leaving for my race mere weeks before she returns from hers. She is not just any friend. She is a best friend. She is a sister. We have been through various struggles that most friendships never encounter or endure. There have been times when both of us questioned what was happening, why it was happening, and if it was worth it. I can say with a resounding YES that it was absolutely worth it.
It is one of those friendships that happened instantaneously. We just clicked and it worked. We have both grown so incredibly much because of this friendship. I have watched God prepare her for the World Race, maturing her through situations she has been faced with in her life. God has very clearly used me in ways to help her grow. At the same time God has absolutely used her to grow me spiritually as well as in how to be a better friend. We have often discussed how truly blessed we feel that the Lord brought us into each other’s lives because we fully recognize that A). Friends do not come along like this very often in our lives and B). We are both far better people than we were when we first met.
Over the course of 2014 she became the person I went to during my most joyous moments regarding my faith. When the joy was just overflowing and I could not get enough of Christ I knew without a doubt that she would understand because she has that same joy pouring out of her. She has even been led by the Spirit on several occasions to speak certain things to me that, quite frankly, she had no way of knowing because I had not mentioned them; yet, because she would allow God to use her she was able to speak truth into my life. She has also been there for me during some of the toughest times and seeing as how I am a serious external processor this was the only way I was able to get through these things.
My point is that I have developed an unbreakable bond with this friend. We very rarely go a day without a text (typical communication seen below) or snarky (all in good fun) Facebook post.
January 2015 will be hard. I have said goodbye to family and friends for a year but I have never had to say goodbye to someone so close for almost two years knowing that there’s almost zero chance of seeing them or being able to speak to them through more than the occasional email. I am sure at this point you’re thinking “Well, I understand how this ties in to the first part of your blog regarding your friendships but how does this tie in to the second part about being joyful and grateful?” Here lately she and I have spent more time together than usual. Part of me believes it is because we just happen to have the time and another part of me believes it is because we both know we will say goodbye in about a month and when she returns I will not be here. In this time that we have been spending together God has literally overwhelmed my heart with joyfulness and gratefulness. My heart grows for this friend every time we are together and while there is some sadness that I believe is natural, there is far more gratefulness and joyfulness.
In the past I have allowed myself to shut down in these sorts of circumstances. I have been separated from those closest to me for many different reasons and I can remember times where I wanted to do nothing except lay on my couch for weeks. I feel such deep connections with people that it physically hurts when I cannot be with them or communicate with them. That will not happen this time. Christ has me wrapped in His arms and a grateful heart for an amazing friend will overcome the sting of separation. Despite knowing the hardship that is to come soon my focus has remained on just how grateful I am for this time that we do have together and that provides endless amounts of joy.
