Reconnecting

My daughter recently told me that the "old" people like me have taken over Facebook from the younger generation. I don't know how I feel about called old at a youthful 49 years old, but I will admit and embrace the fact that I do enjoy Facebook immensely.

It brings a smile to my face each time I get a friend request, but I feel an extra joy when that request is from someone whom I haven't seen or talked to for many years. Reconnecting and catching up with friends from my high school and college years is just plain old fun. Well, most of the time. There is a sadness in hearing about marriages that have dissolved or spouses lost through death or friends who have passed on or are sick or have lost their jobs. But for the most part, connecting with old friends brings an undeniable joy to my heart.

I've often wondered if we will recognize one another in heaven, and I don't have an answer to that age-old question. I would like to believe that we will, and the joy of reunions here on earth will pale in comparison, I'm sure. I can only imagine the emotion I will feel when I see my mom and dad again or my brother Jerry or my grandparents.

So here's to Facebook and to reconnecting and reminiscing and remembering. And here's to what will come one day ... I can only imagine indeed.

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!

Friendship Shopping

So what was your first thought when you read the title of this blog entry? "Oh, poor gal, she's looking for a friend." Or maybe, "Is she fed up with her current friends and ready to search for new ones?" Or even, "Man, she's got nerve to announce that she's shopping for friends!" Quite the opposite, actually.

Last Friday, I had to stop on my way home from work and purchase office supplies for my company at Sam's Warehouse. I needed to go two weeks ago, and I had managed to put it off. You see, I really dislike shopping, even when I'm spending someone else's money (as is the case when I purchase items for work). I seriously would order everything online that I need if I could and have it delivered to my front door. So, stopping on a Friday evening and shopping with the other thousands of people who were present is a true testament to my willingness to go the extra mile for my job.

As I was wandering up and down the aisles trying to find the things I needed to purchase, I became more and more frustrated with each passing minute. Too many people, too many items I couldn't find, too many reasons to run for home. And then, in an instant, everything changed. As I stood gazing at the aluminum foil, a sweet Southern accent filled the air. A voice that made me feel at home, comfortable and loved. I turned my head and saw my former neighbors, Cindy and Perry, and as always happens when I see them, my heart filled with warmth and happiness. They are Kansas City transplants like me, being born and raised in Arkansas.

I truly believe that Cindy and Perry are two of the finest people to walk this earth, and I've always considered myself immensely blessed that God placed them in my life. They stood behind me through my long and difficult divorce, and they were there for my children and me in the years that followed. They helped me in ways that I'm sure they aren't even aware of, from Perry teaching Matt to shave to Cindy watching my children so that I could get out of the house for a much-needed break. As my Daddy used to say, "They are just good people, salt of the earth, they are."

Calling out, "Hey!" as all true Southerners know is the only real form of acceptable greeting, we hugged and began to talk. As we stood and chatted about Perry's recent retirement, our children, their grandchildren, my book, gardening, work and all sorts of other things, I found myself happy and thankful for this divine appointment right in the middle of Sam's. My recent fuming and fussing about shopping and how much I disliked the experience turned into a time of laughter and love and friendship.

I hope I learned a lesson last Friday ... that joy in life can come in the most unexpected places if I'm willing to look for it. It doesn't have to be some spectacular event or production that imparts that joy; it can be a chance encounter in front of the aluminum foil at Sam's. It really can.

And So It Goes

Every day, we hear about events that are occurring in our country or around the world. It's one thing to learn about the state of the economy, job losses and home foreclosures through the Internet, television or newspaper, but it's another thing altogether when you watch close friends and family lose their jobs and homes, and face trying to find employment with the economy in such a critical condition.

Last week, the company where I work had to make the hard decision to eliminate several positions. While I understand the need to make adjustments to accommodate the changing business climate, I couldn't hold back the tears as I watched coworkers whom I love and care about packing up their personal belongings and walking to their cars. In the blink of an eye, their worlds had been turned upside down and their lives changed in a drastic way.

Over the last week, several of those friends have contacted me to ask for my help on writing or editing their resumes. As I spoke with them and searched for the words of comfort, hope and support that they desperately need at this time in their lives, I felt as though anything I might say was shallow and meaningless. I still have my job; I can still pay my mortgage on my home; I can still buy groceries without fearing that someday soon I may not be able to do so.

The general prayers that I have offered up over the last months for those caught in the economic crisis have suddenly changed. They are personal prayers now, prayers for close friends, for those whom I love. As I prayed yesterday for these friends, something struck me. God calls me to a personal faith, to a faith that gets involved, to a faith that is willing to put everything I am and have on the line. God wants me to live out a dangerous faith and to love with a crazy love.

As I see people losing the "things" in their lives, I'm reminded of Peter who left everything he owned, gave up all he had, to follow Jesus. As the world around us is spiraling downward, perhaps God is calling those of us who believe in Him to be willing to sacrifice all in order to help those who are in need. It's a time to pull together, to live out our faith in a dangerous way, to love in a crazy manner, to follow wherever He may lead.

God bless you and keep you close in His loving hands, and may He light a fire of compassion in the hearts of those who call Him Lord.

Losing Myself

Many weekends, I travel to various locations to speak at women's retreats after working a full-time job during the regular work week. I truly enjoy these weekend events and know that being a speaker, a vessel for God to use, is my true calling in life. My regular job is one that pays the bills and one that I enjoy, but there's a difference between a job and a calling.

While I love traveling and sharing with other sisters in the Lord, I also love the weekends when I am home, caught up on all of my household chores and can just relax. Sometimes I read a book, spend time writing or simply watch a movie or two. There is nothing like losing myself in a good story or movie, allowing my mind to become a part of what I am reading or watching.

This has been one such weekend, and I was pleasantly surprised to find one of my favorite movies on television last night. I never tire of watching the film, Dances With Wolves, even though I am able to quote a great deal of the dialogue before it is spoken. Each time I watch the film, I always get lost in the story of boundaries being broken, of love, of acceptance, of family and friendship.

I think I would do well to live such a simple life, a life unencumbered by the trappings that the world teaches are so important for success today. I think I would do well to let God lead my every step and not the influences that surround me each day. I think I would do well to love my family with a pure and faithful love, one that would lay down my very life for them. I think I would do well to treasure my friends and to value the gift of their friendship in a true and honorable way.

Near the close of Dances With Wolves, as Kevin Costner prepares to leave the village, he and Kicking Bird say their goodbyes with these words. "We come far, you and me. I will not forget you." Those words, as they always do after watching the movie, will roll around in my mind for several days as I think of the goodbyes I've said to friends through the years.

So, here's to quiet weekends at home, to good movies and old friends, and to the times when I can slow down and lose myself for a little while. And one more thing ... here's to popcorn, one of God's greatest gifts!