My very first friendship started in the womb. "They" say twins have a special bond and I for sure think that is true with us. 32 years later, Cassie is still my very best girlfriend. She's my favorite. We talk on the phone at least once a day (but most of the time it's more!). Outside of Kyle, there is no other friend who has experienced as much life with me, who knows me as well as she does, has literally walked through the best of times and the worst of times with me. I have never been alone, she was always there for me. She will tell me the truth if something looks fat or bad on me, she will tell me the truth if I'm being selfish or ugly, and she will ALWAYS have my back for me. And me for her.
In junior high one night, our small group leaders challenged us to find someone we didn't know and ask them to sit with us. Ever the rule follower, I totally did this and to this day, Kara will tell you about this crazy, hyper 8th grader coming up to her wearing bright yellow pants and excitedly asking her and her friend to sit with her ON THE FRONT ROW! I mean who could deny such a request?? I would want to be that girl's friend. Thank God he takes care of us during the awkward middle school years, because it was bad yall. So bad. Little did I know then, by making that request, that cute curly haired girl would be one of my life-long friends.
Not long after that, Kara brought Corie to church. Our girls small group really bonded that year and Kara and Corie and Cassie and I began to hang out. We went to rival junior highs, and later rival high schools, but we all loved Jesus a whole lot and loved each other a whole lot. The four of us ended up living together in college and having some of the most fun and the most inside jokes you could possibly imagine. Enough to last us through adult-hood. That's for sure. (Sometime all I need to turn a bad day around is to remember our hula workout video we did together). (Get your own here). (You're welcome). We have walked through hard times and grieved losses. We have watched as each of us dated and married our spouses. We have laughed until we cried and cried until we laughed. We gave binge-watching its name with our Dawson's Creek marathons, run through sprinklers and played in fountains, traveled to other countries together, been camp counselors together... so much life lived together. And still today, they are the girls who I know I can count on. As frequently as possible, we still have google hangout calls. Even though we are scattered throughout the country, we stay up with each others lives and families.
The four of us are now scattered across the US. None of us live in the same place anymore. But I have seen the Lord bless each of us with new friendships to build on and even more best friends friends for each of us. But I guarantee you each of them would agree with me that the foundation of our friendship provides such a safe place for us still to this day.
Throughout the years, we have each had our own groups of friends outside the four of us. Many friends have come and gone. A few have stuck close with us too. But what I have learned through these friends is how needed it is to have a group to come back to and keep you grounded. The importance of close-knit, life-giving friendships.
Both of the big moves in my life (to the Dallas area and then this last one to Alabama), I have seen the Lord go before me and make a way for new friendships in my life. In each of the places he has given me deep heart connections very quickly and I am so grateful for that. He has expanded my heart for new tribe members and he has blessed me in more ways than I can imagine. Because I value people so highly, I truly see friendships as gifts from Him.
In Dallas, I gained "mom friends", friends from small groups, church friends, work friends. We've had babies together, walked through the terrible twos, the threenager days, and more with our kids. We've studied God's word together, walked through the trenches together, and discovered how much fun there is to have in your adult years together.
This last move, I was so fearful, and to be honest, wary. I was tired. I was afraid I didn't have the energy to make new friends. I was afraid that maybe I had used up my "good friend luck". Gosh I'm so thankful that none of those things were true. And most importantly, that the Lord truly did go before me and prepare a place for me here. We have lived here just barely over a year and already the Lord is knitting together close friendships.
I'm linking up with the Momfessionals blog today for Show and Tell Tuesday!
Read my other Show and Tell Posts here:
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