Faithful Friends

I've been blessed through the years with a multitude of friends. Some of those have been friends for many years, and some have been more recently added to my quiver of blessings. Some have been friends during times of grief; some during times of great happiness or success; and some have gone the distance through every event of my life.

For this post, I want to focus on one particular friend who is very special to me. Her name is Debbie, and we've know each other for almost 20 years. I met Debbie when we moved to Kansas City while attending a women's Bible study at the church I currently attend. We felt an instant kinship, since we are both Midwest transplants who are very much still Southern girls at heart. Our sons are the same age, so we also bonded on a "mom" level, too.

We've been through a lot together, Debbie and I, and as I sat next to her in church this morning, I realized how blessed I am to count her among my closet friends. She has a heart of gold and derives tremendous joy through giving to others. There are too many times when Debbie has selflessly given to me to even begin to list them all. One in particular, however, I will never forget. When I had to pack my mother's possessions after she passed, Debbie was the friend who met me at Mom's and helped me through that task. When I would get choked up, it was Debbie who would recall something humorous about Mom and make me smile. I will never forget that day, and I will never forget Debbie's selfless love as she helped me make it through.

So many times, we take our friends for granted, and we forget that they are truly gifts from God. So, thank you, Debbie, for all that you mean to me and the way you make me smile. And, thank you, God, for blessing me with one of the best friends a Southern gal could ever ask for!