Let me tell you about my best girlfriends. I have known Kristin, Jenn, Katey, Lorilyn, and Kara for 17 years. Some of these girls met earlier in life, but I happened to stumble upon these group of women when I was 14.
At 14, you're incredibly vulnerable. You are challenging the world, figuring out your opinions on just about anything.
At 20, you think you know what you are doing, but in reality, you don't.
At 25, life looked different for all of us. Two were married, one was dating, one was in school, one was trying to get into a program.
At 31, two are nurses, one is an accountant, one is a store manager, one is a firefighter, one is a business woman turned stay-at-home mom; four are wives and mothers, two are single.
However, there are some interwoven threads that have kept us together all of these years: our love for God, and our love for each other.
These women have laughed with me. They have cried with me when life has been the pits. They have offered up Scripture to encourage me. They know me sometimes better than I know myself. After God, and then my parents, they are the ones I want to share with my hardships and my triumphs. We have a group text going currently, which is often the highlight of my week.
I love these women. I love their hearts for others. I love that they are true to themselves. I love that they seek help when needed. These women are fighters. They don't take no for an answer, and they shine in their surroundings.
As I reflect over 17 years of friendship, I can say without a doubt this group of friends have shown up, faithfully and consistently. Sometimes it has been in person, sometimes it has been through a phone call. These days it looks like prayer requests and small victories through text messages and quarterly dinner gatherings. But they've been there- even when life looks downright ugly.
For those who know and love God, you will encounter friends at all stages in their lives. You will walk along someone going through a trial- it's inevitable.
Are you reading this post wondering what you can do? Show up.
Don't be afraid to invite someone over or turn up at their house. Don't feel the need to fix. Listen. Pray. Let your friend feel safe. Be consistent and faithful. It is not easy walking with someone in the midst of trials. It's messy. It will require patience. It will require time. It will require the giving of yourself, sometimes to the point of exhaustion.
But we're in this together, and we need each other. I am convinced of this more than ever.Â