November 22, 2017

These are the friends I prayed for.

Last fall during our women’s Bible study, I shared with the group a prayer request about my son’s attitude, and I cried some big tears in front of all the ladies. After class, a wise friend whom I respect emailed me and suggested I find a small group of closer friends to open up to instead of crying in front of everyone.

I had to pray my way through her suggestion to see which pieces I agreed with or wanted to take to heart, and which pieces I could forego. But I realized a small group of trusted friends was a desire of my heart anyway! Yes, please, Lord. 

I immediately knew which women I wanted to be the friends I would confide in. Kim and Leeanne. Wise, godly, spiritually mature, honoring their husbands and children, transparent, trustworthy, kind….the list goes on! Who wouldn’t want friends like these??

So I pursued them.

I asked if the three of us could meet for lunch every month. And so it began.

November 2016

It’s so fun looking back to see how our friendship has grown. These are my prayer warrior sisters. We keep a group text going all the time, where we share joys, encouraging Bible verses, and my favorite: prayer requests. I text these two in my worst moments. I tell them when a disagreement happens with Seth and I can’t stop crying. They go to prayer and remind me who the real enemy is. They text Bible verses that lift my spirits and remind me of my hope in Christ. When something confusing happens with one of my kids, they tell me that I am a good mom, even when I feel like I’m doing everything wrong. Recently at one of our lunch dates, they said they would be willing to come pray over me sometime to help me heal from past abuse. These two are the real deal.

We pray for others too. A friend whose marriage is struggling. A sibling battling depression. A husband taking a test at work. A husband changing jobs. Some of our kids dealing with bullies at school. And if something is urgent, we sometimes text “S.O.S. prayer request!”

And I have to say they make me laugh too, which is like a balm that eases me through all of life’s challenges. Kim’s son used to be in my Sunday school class, and one day during class I said to him, “Did you know I have a lunch date with your mom tomorrow?”

He paused and then said, “Hashtag CREEPY!!”

Kim and Leeanne and I cracked up over that and now refer to our monthly lunch date as #creepylunchdate!

It’s fitting that this week is Thanksgiving, because my heart just bursts and strains because I am so thankful for these two.

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

I made each of us one of these little signs.

In our Entrusted Bible study this fall, Beth Moore has used the term “fellow sojourners” several times. I love the way it sounds. I assumed it meant other people on a journey with you. It does, but when I looked up the definition of sojourner, it was just a tad deeper than that, and I liked it even better than I thought!

Sojourn-noun- a temporary stay

 (New Oxford American Dictionary)

A sojourner is a person who resides temporarily in a place.

(Wikipedia)

This world is our temporary home! I love being reminded of this.

Beth Moore said that sometimes the best fellow sojourners you will find are not those you are naturally drawn to or would choose on your own.

And yet, sometimes they are. I don’t know how long this season will last where Kim, Leeanne, and I all live close to one another and are able to get together regularly. But I’m soaking it in as long as the Lord allows.

November 2017

These are the friends I prayed for.