Have you ever had a friend you just can’t thank the Lord enough for? The kind of friend who is always there — not one who says they are, but one who actually is?
In May, I met a girl who would become that friend to me. Her name is Christina [click here to go to her blog].
We met at Training Camp in Gainesville, Ga. just two short weeks after her original squad disbanded. I was immediately drawn to her, probably because she seemed to know how to pitch her tent and I hadn’t even tried setting mine up yet. Something about her assured me she was going to be someone I could count on to help me in areas I lacked.
A few days into Training Camp, we were showing one another pictures of our families, animals and those sorts of things and realized we have the same exact duvet cover on our beds. Before that moment, I had never seen another one like mine. I couldn’t believe a girl who lives in Missouri, who I met in Georgia, who just so happened to end up on U Squad, who I would be living life with for the next year had the same bedspread. I think it was God’s funny way of revealing we would be best friends.
We’ve only continued to grow closer since then.
If you don’t already know, the name Christina means “follower of Christ,” and that’s exactly who Christina is. Each step she takes in life is following the path the Lord is leading her down. It has been beautiful to watch and has inspired me to do the same. In every situation, Christina points me down the path God is walking me down, whether it’s the same path as her or not.
She speaks truth into my past, my present and my future. She encourages me in the smallest and the greatest, the easiest and the hardest aspects of life. Her words are uplifting and always push me into deeper relationship with the Lord. She affirms me in the areas she sees I’m doing well in and calls me higher in the areas she sees I can grow in.
She is loyal, honest, dependable and truly never lets me down.
I’ve been blessed to walk alongside her these last five months and experience growth in a multitude of ways — in fellowship, in our spirituality, in our love for God’s children, in our desire to live lives honoring the Lord. I will never be able to thank our Father enough for giving me such an incredible sister to share this journey with.
The memories we’ve made so far are some I hold the closest to my heart: loving on an aunty who takes care of orphans in Swaziland, choosing not to get wifi when we had the chance, experiencing physical healing in our bodies after the other has prayed, sharing a different-kind-of-love for the jungle of India and having heart-to-hearts about our dreams while sipping on cafe lattes.
Even though we haven’t been on the same team, the Lord has given us a friendship that is ever-growing and picks up exactly where it let off. He’s walked us through different challenges and celebrations and has called us into leadership together. He’s given us eyes to see into the others’ heart and hearts to love one another through the difficult days.
She is the friend who will always be here — whether we are sitting next to each other or are half-a-country away.
I love celebrating you, Christina. Happy twenty-fourth birthday!
