Love One Another

"She's a mess!"

One friend answered for me when another friend asked me how I was doing. Gotta love friends that know and love you and are willing to tell the truth for you, just in case you were not going to tell it yourself.

The second friend gave me a big, heart-felt, love filled hug. And the "answering" friend gave me a wink.

I was with people who know me well tonight...the ones who hold me accountable, the ones who I admit even the deepest secrets because I know it will bring healing. This party was planned weeks ago, in honor of one of us having a 65th birthday. (yes, one of my best friends is 65!) But before it was planned, God knew where I would be when I walked into this party. And He also knew where I would be when I walked out.

Lifted up. Loved. Cared for.

And not only because I was honest with how I am, but because we are all honest with each other. And even though we are very different, we help each other along the way. When one is weak, another is strong. When one has questions, another can suggest answers. We spent four hours, sharing our lives; the best of it and the worst of it. And when push came to shove, we are all broken, but we are all in recovery from our brokenness. And we all know that God is our only hope.

So, even though I don't know if it will take me three hours or 16 hours to visit my son in the next year, and I wonder if my daughter will ever understand what I mean by the word, "respect", and my husband and I might not ever agree on some things...God will always work it all out.

And He gives me some wonderful girlfriends to walk with me along the way. Oh and they love me when I am on top of the world, and they love me when I am a mess...just the same way I love them.

I am grateful tonight.

And so very loved.

Happy Birthday to my dear and wonderful friend!

Now that you've cleaned up your lives by following the truth, love one another as if your lives depended on it!
1 Peter 5:22a

Loving life, loving people!