Friendship

As we raise support we have had the privilege of hanging out with a lot of people. It has been such an amazing experience. I love sitting down with people and hearing about their hearts and their lives. Sometimes however these visits make me realize how much we will miss our friends once we move. 

This weekend was one of those times. We were able to hang out with my best friend from high school and her husband. We had a really good time as we talked about everything under the sun. We got to their house around 3:30 and stayed until we had to leave because we had to catch the 11:15 ferry. The time went by way too fast. We talked, cooked dinner together, and talked some more. It seems that as I have gotten older more and more of my dear friends have stopped following the Lord but it has been a blessing for me to have a friend that no matter how much time passes we are able to start up right where we left off. I know that is because as we have gone our separate ways we have continued to grow closer to the Lord which has really knit our friendship close to together. In high school we use to joke that we would start our conversations with, “Oh but EM…” or “Oh but Jill…” like the conversation just continued forever. I still feel that way whenever we get together. I always wish that we had stayed in the same city so that we could see each other more, but the friendship is still a blessing to me all the same. I am so thankful for a friend who loves the Lord and whose life inspires me to do the same. (Plus she is incredibly creative, here is a link to her etsy shop: http://www.etsy.com/shop/Jillianmade) I am so thankful for good friendships they are a blessing from the Lord!

As we look forward to moving to the DR it is hard to think of how much we will miss these times with friends. It is hard to think that each time you hang out with someone that you don’t see on a regular basis that it may the last time you hang out with them for a very long time.  But I am thankful that some friendships stand the test of time and will continue to be strong no matter if you live in different states or in different countries. 

 

Increase my faith no matter what

Yesterday was a rough day. We received news that some large support that we were counting on wouldn’t be coming. Crushing disappointment would be the first emotion that came.  But, then I remembered that I had been praying the day before these words. “God I feel that so far support raising has been fairly easy. You have provided support at unexpected times and raised people up that we had no idea about. I know that at some point this is going to get hard, please increase my faith even when it’s hard.” 

And then the next day God gave us a support raising trial. I remembered this prayer and I said, God please grow my faith. I have been reading through the old testament and the times when the Israelites keep forgetting to recall the great miracles that God performed in delivering them out of Egypt. The first trial that comes around they loose complete faith and start to complain. I want to remember the amazing ways that the Lord has been providing support, instead of dwelling on the discouragement in front of us. It is so easy to get discouraged by the immediate instead of remembering the great works of the Lord.  I pray that even in hard times God will increase my faith.