Lasting friendship

I have this friend. She is great. One of my best friends I'd say. Probably my closest friend. Why?

Well I meet her at the start of this year when she started attending at my church. Funny story actually when we first met we joked around quite a bit, I thought she was great. I was talking the the youth pastor about how awesome she was - he knew her from a previous church - he was like she's great, be her friend and get her to youth lead with you.

Now my youth pastor was only joking when he told me to befriend her so she will be a youth leader. But that's exactly what happened not like that though. The first night we lead a small group together was awesome, I loved having someone who just seemed to so naturally bounce off what I had to say and finish my questions. We were Bert and Ernie the youth ministry world.

We road tripped to Sydney for hillsong together and it was some of the best fun I've had. She encouraged me, laughed at and with me, danced with me, supported me, taught me shared with me and listened to me.

I have some really great friends don't get me wrong but what is special about this friendship is that, for the time I've known her, she has been planning to move overseas to teach and travel, yet she still built friendship, she still trusted me and she still allowed herself to be trusted.

This friend is a gift from God and someone who came into my life at the completely right time.
She has so many good characteristics which I feel blessed to have seen.

I have learnt so much from her;
To trust God more and be excited for where he is leading even without the minor details
I learnt to take life as an adventure
That there are people in our lives that are a blessing and we need to honour them
That it's possible and natural to share deep concerns, scares, hurts but still be free and not a victim of them.
I learnt to dream again
I was reminded again how much value energy and excitement is in youth ministry
I learnt that something valuable is worth hanging on too and fighting for.

I've never learnt so much from a friendship in such a short amount of time.

I am so excited that she got to follow her dream and go on this trip but it's hard to have seen her go knowing I've been left behind. I didn't know how to best say goodbye, because in a way it wasn't good bye it was just see you later and Chat soon by a different means. Sure it will be a while before we go driving together and laugh so hard while chilling in the car. But I hope we stay regularly connected. I know that will mean 4am wake ups so I can catch her after dinner. But things of value are worth fighting for.

I've been criticized for being obsessed with my friend, and this might be another nail in that coffin but I value this friendship and what better way to share my goodbye/see you later, than to share how she has taught me so much.

I thank God for my friend and pray that one day I can be a friend who inspires someone else. What a blessing friendship is!!!