Do You Have Friends?

As I have said before, my husband has begun a new ministry in another church in another state and I remain in Tennessee to finish out the semester at the college where I teach.

Last weekend I was at our new church and had the privilege of speaking to the ladies at the yearly “Once Upon a Holiday” women’s event. I have spoken many times to groups of women that I did not know….and I have spoken many times to women in my own church….but I had never spoken to women I did not know who were my own church!!

I was quite apprehensive and fearful and would have backed out of it if I could have! Speaking has never been easy for me and I have a tendency to get diarrhea whenever I speak!! These ladies were so gracious and teachable and open as I shared my heart with them. I so look forward to serving our God alongside them.

A sweet lady came up to me after it was over and told me that after their previous pastor left, she felt compelled to be a friend to the new pastor’s wife. Wow!! She wants to be my friend? I am in awe that God began working behind the scenes months ago to provide someone for me! This woman did not have a name or a face but she had been given instructions—befriend your new pastor’s wife. I look forward to getting to know her and to seeing what all God is up to.

This has never happened to me before. Many times it has been a struggle finding women who want to be my friend.

Do you find that some churches are more “relational” than others? My husband has been invited out to eat and/or over to people’s homes more times in the last three months than in the last 15 years. Why is that?

At some churches where we have served we have had couples who both my husband and I loved being around. We could be ourselves with them, drop in anytime, share meals, and share our hearts with them. On the other hand, we were also in a church where not one couple fit that description.

There have been seasons where I had lots of friends and seasons where there was not one. Why is that? Why are some churches full of people who want to befriend us and others who act as if we have the plague? And what are we to do about it?