“Don’t plan anything for 2:15 on Sunday!
Ok?”
At that moment, I had no particular plans for Sunday afternoon but enjoyed the idea of spending time with friends at the stated time, so I agreed.
This wasn’t just any Sunday, it was, in fact, my last.
Sunday marked my last forty-eight hours left in my crisp, wintry, Minnesotan residence for I was to leave for Florida the coming Tuesday.
Goodbyes were imminent and the desire to spend my remaining time cherishing the friendships that had made Minnesota worth living in was overwhelming.
Amidst the packing, organizing, repacking and bringing closure to every area of my life, Sunday 2:15 finally arrived.
Jess showed up with a mysterious excitement ready to take me out for our rendezvous with Hannah and our last day of fun.
We got in the car and, as we pulled away, Jess began digging through her purse. To her chagrin, she realized that she had left not only her cell phone at her house, but the directions to our unknown activity for the afternoon as well.
Frustrated, she asked to borrow my cell phone to double check with her roommate that both items were, in fact, where she assumed them to be at her apartment. The call confirmed her notion.
She apologized as we traveled back to her apartment for our inconveniencing detour.
We quickly ran up to her apartment and walked in.
I saw our mutual friend Kate (Jess’ roommate) and exchanged greetings.
She invited me in while Jess grabbed the missing items and as I rounded the corner…
“SURPRISE!”
I had not tried to pry into the details of our Sunday outing and, this fact alone being out of character, I kind of liked the idea of allowing Jess and Hannah to create an afternoon of fun for the three of us.
To my oversight, I had not picked up on any clues that my friends were planning a going-away party for me.
All of my favorite snacks lay elegantly presented on the kitchen table and friends from my last two and a half years in Minnesota were there to celebrate my time in Minneapolis and wish me luck in my future endeavors.
Three days later, I reflect back on such an experience and emotion begins to fill my heart.
Who am I to have people around to love and appreciate me the way they do.
Who am I that they would take time away from their valuable weekend to celebrate my friendship, time in Minnesota and excitement for future endeavors.
I’m not worthy…but I am blessed.
I was thinking about how friendships are made.
Often, we do not aggressively pursue our friends, we do not pick them out of a crowd, we do not interview or reference or require qualifications.
Our friends meet us on our journey.
They are sojourners who walk alongside us in our pursuit of life’s goals and dreams.
We do not seek them out, they are brought to us.
And often, brought to us for a purpose.
As I think of the relationships I have made in the last several years, I question whether I would have handpicked my friends out of a line up.
I wonder, in my many perfectionistic flaws, if I would have allowed individuals growing and maturing in their own rite to walk alongside me in my journey.
For who better to help you grow than those who have successfully arrived? Yet, the friendships God has brought into my life have taught me more through the struggles, hardships, mistakes, flaws and growth than any perfect model I could have constructed for myself.
Often, my understanding of what I need does not mirror the lessons God wishes to teach me – and, often, I question it, to my detriment.
I had a professor in one of my Systematic Theology classes say that the innate desire of the human soul is both: to love and be loved; and to know and be known.
Next year as I travel with personalities different or similar to my own, as I meet people from other cultures, missionaries from other backgrounds and live in the unfamiliar and new, I must learn to cherish those I encounter.
The statement Kate said so nonchalantly has resonated with me and one I want to adopt within my own vernacular:
“Are you coming in?”
I pray the answer is ‘yes.’
Please don’t ask why my face is on a cake.
Kate and Jess
WorldRacers!
