With dirty, bare feet, I walked through the door onto the roof. Passing the bright yellow light swarming with bugs, I paused. The moon radiated the night sky, reflecting off my teary eyes. My feet led me over three concrete barriers to a secluded, private rooftop where no one could find me. The ceramic tile, still warm from the unrelenting heat of the sun that day, made for a nice place to sit and talk with Jesus.
Looking up at the starry sky, I heard someone softly calling my name in the distance. “Han?” she asked. Taking a deep breathe, a shy “yes” escaped my lips. The Lord knows what we need, even before we ask Him. And in that moment, on October 23 in Battambang, Cambodia, He knew I needed Ash.
As the faint sound of her footsteps hopping over the chalky dividers grew louder, my heart thudded. My anxious thoughts pounded my head as the thought of allowing someone to love me became more tangible. I didn’t feel worthy of love. I didn’t feel like someone could understand me enough to love me. I didn’t want to feel like a burden to anyone.
But as Ash slowly sat next to me, keeping the stillness of the night quiet, my restless soul began to find peace. My anxious thoughts expressed themselves in words while Ash patiently and lovingly listened. That night, laying beneath the bright stars, the Lord taught me more about His love for me through Ash. We laughed. We cried. And we gave space for the Holy Spirit to move. That night, smacking the bugs that never ceased to bite our arms and legs, a beautiful friendship started.
Ashley is someone who abounds in love. She has a deep, genuine compassion for others that is an overflow of the love she experiences from the Father daily. She delights in serving others and expects nothing in return. She intently listens to understand, then seeks the Lord’s wisdom and council to respond. Ash is someone who when they say they will pray for you, they actually mean it, and does it fervently.
Above all, Ash is a fighter. A humble, determined, and fearless fighter who leans on the Lord’s understanding. She fights for the truth, then rejoices in it. She fights for unity, and consistently seeks to grow it. She fights for intimacy with the Lord, and isn’t satisfied with anything less. She fights for growth, for pure joy in every circumstance, and for a heart like the Lord’s. She is joyful in hope, patient in affliction, and faithful in prayer (Rm. 12:12).
Ash, my beautiful teammate, you are an inspiration to everyone who knows you. The Lord has taught me so much through you already, and I am convinced He divinely orchestrated our friendship for such a time as this. You are an amazing person, and I know the Lord will not be shy in continuing to lavish His faithfullness and goodness onto you these next 6 months. Ash, my prayer for you is that you walk in boldness in the gifts the Lord has given you, live out the freedom that He has already poured over you, and fearlessly proclaim His Name among all the nations. I love you.
