We sit for hours ... I'm not exaggerating. We've been known to have 4 hour lunches that probably would go longer if time would allow.
Hours that are sacred to me.
We talk about anything and everything. We laugh, we cry and sometimes we even express our anger about things in life that just make us spitting mad.
We talk about love, grace and mercy. And we talk about how our only hope is found in Him ... the very One who brought our little trio together. The One who holds us together even though one us now lives two hours away.
I cherish those lunches. It's more than just food for my body. It's more about the food it gives my soul. I always walk away refreshed, and somehow knowing more about our Saviour. We spend our time sharing what the Lord is teaching us. Our conversations always lead back to Him.
That's why they are my best friends ... they are the sisters I always wanted and never thought I'd have. They can be BOSSY big sisters, but only because they love me and truly want what's best for me.
Our friendship runs much deeper than things we have in common. Believe me, in some ways we couldn't be more different. Those differences make our friendship much more beautiful though. We stretch each other out of what make us comfortable.
We've laughed so hard there were tears. Laughter so deep our stomachs hurt. And sometimes there are tears because our hearts hurt. So we bring out the roll of toilet paper to wipe our noses, and we sit close, hold hands and together we pray.
Because our friendship always leads back to the One who brought our little trio together.
My Mama would fuss at me when I would classify them as my best friends. "You'll hurt someone's feelings doing that.", she'd say. But everyone who knows me knows they are two of the few in my most inner circle. Only three others are that close to me ... Nathan, Darryl and Robyn. It's that circle I can tell everything to and know it's safe. I'm safe from more than just being judged. I'm safe because I know they are going to "correct and reproof me" when it's needed.
All Scripture is inspired by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, for training in righteousness; ~ 2 Timothy 3:16
Those times aren't always so fun. And believe me, those times have been many over the years, but it's those times that prove to me they really are my friends ... my sisters in Christ.
They always point me to Jesus. They don't just point me to Him though, they go with me. And when my heart is too weak to run to Him, they carry me. And at the foot of the cross ... where grace and mercy meet ... they lay me. And they stay with me. They remind me who I am in Christ. He's is my hope, and only in Him is any true joy found
Our friendship always leads back to the One who brought us together.
Our lunches aren't as often as we like. Time constraints, physical distance and chronic illness get in the way. It makes me cherish those lunches all the more.
And look forward to Heaven. Connie and I like to imagine we are going to be neighbors. My house will be pink, hers yellow. I think Mary's will be blue ... blue like the beautiful hydrangeas she grows every year. Sonic will be nearby, and Mary will finally love lemon slushes as much as Connie and I do. Our lunches will no longer just be lunches. We won't have to keep up with the time, and there will never be a mix-up about where we are meeting.
And our Jesus won't just be there with us in spirit, He will actually be with us. I like to imagine Him sitting at the table with us. All of us laughing at the crazy things we've done and finally being able to ask Him all the "whys" that trouble our hearts so much. All the while sipping on a Sonic slush or hot chocolate with lots marshmallows.
Because our friendship always leads back to the One who brought us together.
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