Although my sinuses are rebelling from weather changes and lack of taking better care of myself, I just finished an amazing weekend with my best friend.
Kim and Maria are great friends that I confide so much in, learn from, and boy do we laugh. What sets my other friend apart and categorizes her as a best friend is this:
Time.
When I introduce her, people actually say "oooh and ahhh" when I announce we have been friends since kindergarten. She let the adult Sunday School class know our ages, so I can assure you, kindergarten was quite a long time ago. Our friendship has seen ups and downs and even a time of rebellion on my part when I wanted nothing to do with the Christian faith she kept talking about. I'm grateful for her obedience because without her following through on the Holy Spirit's nudge, I don't even want to think about where I'd be.
Trust.
Because I've known her longer than anyone else besides my sister and mom, we have a trust. She has seen me through everything. Although my husband is my closest confidante, there are things she knows about my life. I don't think I have skeltons in the closet but she saw first hand some of the pain I had growing up, just as I did with her. She was a catalyst God used to help me start the healing process after a miscarriage. I can share anything with her and I know she's got my back, and vice versa.
Truth in Love
Unfortunately those closest to you aren't always able to say what they are thinking and have it be received well. I don't know how to explain it but my friend can say the same exact thing and I'll receive it, when a family member could have said it ten times before and I just don't get it. She speaks the truth in love, usually in a sandwich way of knowing I need affirmation, but questioning the situation out until I come up with the answer on my own. I tend to be more blunt with her, I think, but she trusts me as a voice God would use to further her walk in Him.
I share all this because with the trust issues both Kim and I wrote about here, being with my friend was a good visual on what I try to share with people who think I follow religion. Last night I watched Another Perfect Stranger and I liked how they tackled religion versus relationship.
What I have in Christ is a friendship. For all those times my friend and I collapsed on a bed sharing our heart, dreams and tears, that's what Jesus does too. Sometimes He has to bluntly tell me something, but it's always wrapped in love. I can trust Him, and as time goes on, our friendship only grows and deepens.
Do you have a best friend like this? Do you liken that friendship with yours with Christ? What makes it the same? Different? I'd love to see your thoughts on this.
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Julie Arduini is a surrendered writer with her own blog, http://thesurrenderedscribe.blogspot.com/. A graduate of the Christian Writers Guild, she blogs for the Christian Writers Forum Sundays as the mommy blogger and is the Forum's book club facilitator. She is active with FaithWriters and has several writings ready to publish in different books and anthologies in 2008-09.
To get to know her better, read her interview by Lynda Schab at: http://www.faithreaders.com/featured-author-details.php?id=33%20
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