Friendship-God's Handiwork

This past weekend I got to spend some quality time with some of my favorite people. Friday was dinner with some new friends from Bible study followed by an impromptu shopping excursion with my dear friend and mentor, Sarah. Saturday began with omelets and conversation with Chrisanne and Beth, friends I've had for nearly six years. Saturday evening,  Michael and I ended the evening celebrating the 28th birthday of one of my best friends, Leslie. Sunday was spent with my best friends in the world, Michael and our dogs, Bentley and Bruce. Yesterday I came home to the sweetest card from my best friend, Page, that had me laughing and crying with only a few short sentences. And finally, last night I got to hang out with Sarah again and Jenn--my friend for...FIFTEEN YEARS--during our business meeting. The quality time stuffed into the past several days has got me thinking about these people I call friends.

To say that I've been blessed with friends in a gross understatement. As I look back on the past 28 years, I am constantly amazed at God's craftsmanship when it comes to my life, particularly my relationships. Seemingly insignificant interactions have yielded significant relationships. I vividly remember being introduced to Becky in the MHS fieldhouse.

At fourteen, I had no way of knowing that she would grow to be one of my best friends, meet and fall in love with my brother, become my sister, give birth to my precious nephew, Finn,  and help challenge me to become the woman I want to be. 

So many of my relationships have similar stories.

Jenn started as the only person I knew at youth group and quickly became one of my life-long friends.

Leslie was a girl from church volleyball and Freshman Orientation at Anderson University who ended up living on my floor and helped pick up the pieces of my heart when it was broken that first year away from home.

I was confident that I would never be cool enough to be friends with Page, but a love for Ed lead us to a friendship that keeps me accountable and allows me to be authentic.

Chrisanne was a guidance counselor who I offered a ride to in a thunderstorm who ended up being my beloved roommate for nearly three years.

Beth began as a spunky special education teacher who became my inspiration to run a half-marathon.

Rachel was another English teacher down the hall who ultimately pushed me outside of my comfort zone in so many ways.

Sarah started out as the only soul I knew at a new job and became one of the two people in this world who are always straight with me.

My husband, the love of my life, was masquerading as an acquaintance of my high school boyfriend.

My point? You never know when the next seemingly unimportant introduction will serve up one of the most important people in your life. God's crafty that way. He's been known to take the ordinary and make it divine. I'm grateful He saw fit to do in my life, and can't wait to see what--or who--else He has in store!