A Gaggle of Girlfriends

As I have mentioned this week in a previous post, I live with men. My life revolves around sports and men "stuff." My home cannot be "overly" feminine. Shopping with my guys most often takes place with them sitting on the bench in the center of a mall or them watching the clock. They certainly do not want to "look around" the store. They simply want to get what is needed and run for their lives.

This is where the urgent need for girlfriends can come in handy. Since I'm not a decorator, I always pray God will send me a friend who has an eye for style while sticking to my budget. Shopping for clothes is a frustrating adventure for me because the styles do not fit my body type. A good girlfriend will be honest and say "let's try another store" or "don't give up."

Furthermore, a girlfriend will let you cry at Hallmark commercials and sad movies. Chances are she will grab a tissue as well. A girlfriend encourages you when you are blue and laughs with you not at you. It is also true that a girlfriend will celebrate the joys in your life as well as hold your hand in your sorrows.

I am blessed to have some awesome girlfriends across the nation. I just wish I could pick them all up and move them to Tennessee with me but that is not possible. However, I can still treasure the memories we made. For instance, one friend and I took out our frustrations by tackling bathroom wallpaper in a parsonage. The area was really too small for one person but we squeezed our bodies in and began ripping and fussing. Before it was over we were laughing and having fun pulling down wallpaper. Then there is the girlfriend who always made grocery shoping an adventure. We usually were talking so much that neither of us could remember where we parked the car. I cannot tell you how many hours we spent searching the parking lot for our "lost" car. (Neither of us had an alarm system on the vehicles at the time.) Of course, all my girlfriends have the same addiction I have-chocolate.

Yes, a good friend is essential whether you live in an all male household or not. God created us for friendship. In the garden, He walked with Adam and Eve and was their friend. Personally, I love the story of David and Jonathan who were BFF (best friends forever). When he was next in line for the kingdom, Jonathan willing gave David his royal robe. Jonathan was selfless, an encourager, and a protector for David. When learning of Jonathan's death, David mourned for his lost brother.

So my dear new friends, I just want to encourage you to nurture a friendship-first with our Lord and then with one another.

Do you have a special friend either now or in the past that you are thankful for? If so tell our Father. You might even want to send that special firend a note telling her what her friendship means to you.