This morning, I was on the folding-end of a laundry blessing.
My heart-sister, Laurie, called early on and said she needed help at the laundromat. She was getting the last of her laundry done before leaving town. Her day was scheduled to the minute, and she needed someone to take over so she could get back on task. As soon as E's bus left, I headed over to feed quarters and match socks. Mind you, she's not "leaving town" like, I dunno, going on vacation. She's "leaving town", like, moving to Arizona. To plant a church. Which is awesome... and yet still, my heart hurts.
While I was folding the cutest little Lego underwear, my heart jumped when I realized that I was, indeed, on the giving end of this blessing...
And just a few short weeks ago, I was on the receiving end... our friends had before rushed to our door to take away our dirty laundry and returned it clean and folded. Blessings.
42 They devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and to fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer. 43 Everyone was filled with awe at the many wonders and signs performed by the apostles.44 All the believers were together and had everything in common. 45 They sold property and possessions to give to anyone who had need. 46 Every day they continued to meet together in the temple courts. They broke bread in their homes and ate together with glad and sincere hearts,47 praising God and enjoying the favor of all the people. And the Lord added to their number daily those who were being saved. Acts 2:42-47
This is just how my 10-year friendship with Laurie and her family has been. We have given- and received- together when there was a need. We have seen signs and wonders. We have broken bread and prayed. And we have had everything in common... sometimes, a wee bit too much. (There aren't many people who would loan you ALL of their clothes when your luggage gets lost in Rwanda... just sayin'.)
Which is part of what makes this transition so hard. Never have I felt so instantly connected to a friend in both life and Spirit. Never have I had someone who would drop everything to run to Wal-mart at a moment's notice. Never have I been rebuked in love and encouraged in truth and ridiculed by the same person. We have woven together a tapestry of pain and suffering... joy and celebration. We have witnessed the birth, rebirth, and homecoming of our children together... we have taken pregnancy tests and watched fertility ultrasounds together... we have watched great men be inaugurated and sung on the stage with other men at that same moment in time. We have walked together in search of a nude beach... we have wept openly about our pasts... we have bought each other Starbucks when the other one of us just couldn't afford it. We have lived through parents with cancer and dementia... we have sung RENT! at the top of our lungs (even when we have the words wrong.) We have walked on dark streets in a foreign land against our better judgement... and been blown away at God's individual love over a gallon of wine. We have been sure our husbands have lost their minds and needed us to tell them... and praised those same men at their amazing growth and Godly decisions. We have watched college students grow... and watched our hearts grow to love students more every day. We have run together at Rope Drop and run together at the Y in the dark. We have eaten at Long John Silvers and Boca de Bobbidi Boo. And never have I been more grateful for every step of the journey.
THIS is the body of Christ. This is the fellowship of believers. This is the good life. This is the real life- folding laundry and all. And this is truth... friends really are friends forever. God speed, my Kindred Spirit. I can't wait to see where He leads us next.
My heart-sister, Laurie, called early on and said she needed help at the laundromat. She was getting the last of her laundry done before leaving town. Her day was scheduled to the minute, and she needed someone to take over so she could get back on task. As soon as E's bus left, I headed over to feed quarters and match socks. Mind you, she's not "leaving town" like, I dunno, going on vacation. She's "leaving town", like, moving to Arizona. To plant a church. Which is awesome... and yet still, my heart hurts.
While I was folding the cutest little Lego underwear, my heart jumped when I realized that I was, indeed, on the giving end of this blessing...
And just a few short weeks ago, I was on the receiving end... our friends had before rushed to our door to take away our dirty laundry and returned it clean and folded. Blessings.
42 They devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and to fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer. 43 Everyone was filled with awe at the many wonders and signs performed by the apostles.44 All the believers were together and had everything in common. 45 They sold property and possessions to give to anyone who had need. 46 Every day they continued to meet together in the temple courts. They broke bread in their homes and ate together with glad and sincere hearts,47 praising God and enjoying the favor of all the people. And the Lord added to their number daily those who were being saved. Acts 2:42-47
This is just how my 10-year friendship with Laurie and her family has been. We have given- and received- together when there was a need. We have seen signs and wonders. We have broken bread and prayed. And we have had everything in common... sometimes, a wee bit too much. (There aren't many people who would loan you ALL of their clothes when your luggage gets lost in Rwanda... just sayin'.)
Which is part of what makes this transition so hard. Never have I felt so instantly connected to a friend in both life and Spirit. Never have I had someone who would drop everything to run to Wal-mart at a moment's notice. Never have I been rebuked in love and encouraged in truth and ridiculed by the same person. We have woven together a tapestry of pain and suffering... joy and celebration. We have witnessed the birth, rebirth, and homecoming of our children together... we have taken pregnancy tests and watched fertility ultrasounds together... we have watched great men be inaugurated and sung on the stage with other men at that same moment in time. We have walked together in search of a nude beach... we have wept openly about our pasts... we have bought each other Starbucks when the other one of us just couldn't afford it. We have lived through parents with cancer and dementia... we have sung RENT! at the top of our lungs (even when we have the words wrong.) We have walked on dark streets in a foreign land against our better judgement... and been blown away at God's individual love over a gallon of wine. We have been sure our husbands have lost their minds and needed us to tell them... and praised those same men at their amazing growth and Godly decisions. We have watched college students grow... and watched our hearts grow to love students more every day. We have run together at Rope Drop and run together at the Y in the dark. We have eaten at Long John Silvers and Boca de Bobbidi Boo. And never have I been more grateful for every step of the journey.
THIS is the body of Christ. This is the fellowship of believers. This is the good life. This is the real life- folding laundry and all. And this is truth... friends really are friends forever. God speed, my Kindred Spirit. I can't wait to see where He leads us next.
(she is a Brickhouse, you know...)
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