Friendship Can Be Seen On Every Face

I love spending time with my friends. The problem is that it doesn't happen very often. With children, spouses, jobs, and other responsibilities, it's surprising we gals ever get time together. Distance is also a factor with several of my best girls living hours away.

This weekend I got to hang with my favorite red head (just don't count my red headed nephew and niece).  This girl and I became friends way back when cabbage patch kids were growing in the garden and "We Are the World" was being sung by all as we held hands and willed starvation to become a thing of the past.

Kelly knows my secrets and my dreams. We were in each other's weddings and held each other's newborns. We talk of the past and look to the future. Laughter meets us at every get together. We know the One who holds our future, which makes our bond even stronger.

As much as I love my girl friends, I have a hard time making new ones. My heart is guarded. It's not the way I want it to be. Losing loved ones has made me reserved in sharing myself. It's difficult to give my love to others when I know how it feels to have them go away. Or not return the feelings.

But isn't life about taking chances and giving of yourself? If I get over my selfish insecurities, I can see others hurting. I see sadness. I see lonely. Friendship is helping an exhausted mom unload her grocery cart while she is bouncing a screaming infant. It's listening to the cashier talk of her bunions and offer sympathy. It's smiling and say hello to the lady wearing too little clothing while wearing too much make-up.

Jesus doesn't teach us to offer our friendship only if they are like us or if we get something in return. He commands us to love one another as He as loved us (John 13:34). And boy, does He love us. He is personally telling me to get out of my comfort zone, become vulnerable, and reach out to others.

Though my best friends will always be my soul sisters, everywhere I look I see friends just waiting to be noticed.



More pics from Kelly's:

    Kelly and I try to get together once a month, though it doesn't always work that way. This time we flaunted our youthfulness by dancing to Just Dance 3. If you want to see star quality rockers, our daughters took video footage. (ruh roh!) We require our husbands to be friends too. :-) And we may or may not have arranged marriages with our children. I hope everyone has a friend like my Kelly. Life is so much sweeter for sure.  The saying is true...friendships are one of life's greatest gifts!