Off they go.
Off to embark on new adventures and make new memories.
And my heart is heavy...with a mixture of joy and sadness.
These ladies of mine have consumed nearly every memory of my last four years. And there are hardly words good enough to describe how much I am going to miss them. Because they were so much more than friends.
They were more. Much more.
And my heart will forever be indebted to the Lord for surrounding me with their lives.
But times marches on.
Especially in the military and even more especially with the Lord.
He leads us forward.
He calls us else where.
And all for His glory.
We have done virtually everything together these past few years. And stood by each other through darn near it all....birthday parties, backyard get togethers, service projects, sicknesses, deployments out the flippin' wazoo, family loss, hospital visits, crazy radiation, babies, goodbyes, girl nights...
and everything you can possibly fit in between.
And then in addition to all that jazz every Tuesday night like clockwork we would gather together and dig into God's word, seek, cry, laugh, stumble, stretch, give, and grow till it hurt and then come back again for more.
We know just about everything about each other.
We dug it all up and laid it all out there. And in the process I saw God do some mighty things in our lives. I saw firsthand God transforming these gals into new creations. ( I will never ever forget the night Kara told us at Village Inn she gave her life to the Lord, or seeing Liz open up the Bible to read it recreationally for the first times ever, and seeing Rachael thirsty for more of the Lord in her life) He tweaked, plucked, pruned and stripped us all bare, and we grew about as close as friends can get because of it.
(But you could bet when things got too serious for too long someone would crack a joke and we'd be peeing ourselves with laughter the next second. )
That was one thing you could always count on with us...laughing. Usually very.loud.laughing. Without a doubt we would be the loudest people wherever we would go. We sure knew how to own a room that's for sure. We just kinda took everything over....movie theaters, restaurants, entire amphitheaters...
And it was safe. We were safe together. There was never any reason to worry if your friends were dragging your name through the mud, or gonna criticize or ridicule you to your face. We would poke fun, yes, poke lots of fun really, but the intentions were never with malicious intent. Always innocent and good. Never to tear each other down. Our friendships were safe...secure...where you could come in and be yourself, your true self, warts and all, and know that you were loved unconditionally.
No matter what.
Friends like are a treasure, because they're hard to find.
So, in honor of the last 3+ years of more memories and goodness than I could ever fit into a post, in honor of friends who will forget their age with you, encourage and support you to no end, and all the adventures God has in store for your futures....let the good times roll....
"There's a little flame inside us all...
Some shine bright, some shine small...
The rains will come, and the waters rise...
But don't you ever lose your light....
In this life you will know, love and pain
joy and sorrow...
So when it hurts, when times get hard
Don't forget whose child you are...
This little light of mine, I'm gonna let it shine...
Gonna let it shine...
May you live each day , with no regret...
With the same sense of wonder as a child's heart...
With the ones you love-
treasure the time...
Keep the memories alive...
Hold on to your dreams
Don't you ever let go....
Don't you ever let go....
There's a fire inside you
Burning with hope...
Burning with hope...
I'm gonna let it shine...
Gonna let it shine...
But after the rain comes the sun, don't you ever forget.....
And we will finally see Jesus' face...
And let my little light shine...
This little light of mine, I'm gonna let it shine...
Gonna let it shine...
Gonna let it shine."
-This Little Light of Mine by Addison Road
-This Little Light of Mine by Addison Road
3 comments:
Oh My Lord, you little poet, you! I am so sad, elated, and grateful at the same time. Sad to see those times become memories, elated that I have such great friends, and also grateful to the Lord for bringing all of you, especially you, into my lives. I am forever changed for having your influence in my life, for the better. I will NEVER forget my time with my chiquitas! Love you!
shoot.
my emotions couldn't keep up.
I am a mess right now.
I'm in this freakish cry/laugh/sad/happy/depressed/energized place and I can't escape!!!!
such incredible friends! - so glad you have them! what a blessing. sorry it is coming to an end ): you guys will have to make a point of staying in touch. God bless ya's!!!!! mom
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