Let’s Be Honest

It’s so true that no matter how much time has passed between seeing or speaking with a close friend, somehow, you pick up right where you left off! I have told my kiddos, that I want nothing more than for them to be friends, and that the best friends they will have, they will find in church. As has been my truth. So, of course, I could not wait to share my catch up with my sister and my kiddos!

“The best mirror is an old friend.” – George Herbert

Sitting with my friend, drinking coffee, and catching up. “We’re like really adults, and we have kids. It’s hard to believe we were kids. But, I still feel like I’m 16,” she said. I could totally relate. My kiddos are slightly older than her little one. I married right after high school, knowing nothing of the world. We both talked about home, and life here in the Pacific Northwest. We spoke about the challenges of finding friends, and how thankful we were that we lived so close! Feels good to have a close friend who lives so close!

Something struck me, in the midst of it all, (I think I did a blog post on this) not sure why, or how, or why, I find myself lying to myself. Trying and failing to fool only myself. But, what is it about our close friends that bring out our truest selves? I find that in prayer to God, in conversations with my sister, and just catching up with my friend, is when I’m most honest with me. Because, who withholds information from a close friend?! Not this girl. Besides, they would call me out on it.

Safe place, is what comes to mind. That’s surely what it is. To be able to admit, this is me. And be accepted, flaws and all. Well, isn’t that what we all desire? No need to hide behind false pretenses, sarcasm or jokes – not that those aren’t pieces of me, sometimes I hide behind those things. (Because of this, I had to fix a blog post that said something that I didn’t quite mean.) Hindsight is always 20/20. A lesson I’ll learn someday. In it, I think I learned something about myself, but maybe I knew it all along?

Proverbs 27:17 NLT “Iron sharpens iron, so a friend sharpens a friend.”

After His life, His love, His forgiveness… One of the greatest gifts from God is a friendship. We first learn this through our relationship with Him. How He desires a relationship with us! I recall the days (months) when I begged God for a friend. However, when I surrendered my desires and wants to Him, and truly desired only Him, well, what greater friend is there than God? As the scriptures say, He’s the friend that sticks closer than a brother. I don’t know if you have a brother, but I know know my baby brother is very family oriented. There isn’t anything he wouldn’t do for his sisters, quite the protective young man. (I love to say that I’m the favorite, I have the trophy to prove it. But if I’m honest, he gave one to our other sister too. Haha!) But God will never leave us, never forsake us. There is never a place we can go where He can’t reach us. There is nothing we can do that can stop Him from loving us. I want to be a friend like that! Slowly, I’m learning His ways.

It was when I had fully surrendered my all to Him, that He answered my prayer. It doesn’t always happen this way, I’m sure. But, I needed a lesson in trust, blind faith. Sometimes we feel as though we walk alone. We are never alone. In those moments, we have only to look up. We have only to turn to Jesus. I’m grateful for my sister, always encouraging me through the Word of God. No matter what time, day or night, willing to pray with me, willing to listen. I pray I am as good a friend to you as you are to me. For my friend who has returned into my life, as though time has never passed by, I thank the Lord! He knows our needs, at the exact moment. To a newer couple of gals, one I’ve known, the other I’ll get to know… Well, the day will come when we truly meet, haha!

*Original Photo – Trophy from my brother. Wish I could say it’s the only one… Lol