Friends
A friend is someone who lights up when you enter the the room. A friend is someone who can know about your warts and love you anyway. A friend is someone who builds up and doesn't tear down. A friend is someone who sticks closer than a sister. A friend doesn't look at you wondering what you have to offer but looks at you with desire to offer you all they can. A friend celebrates with you, cries with you, laughs with you, teaches you, listens to you, forgives you, and prays for you. A friend doesn't judge and criticize but instead tells you how much they love you while encouraging you with God's words. Friends help you know Father, Son and Spirit in great ways. Friends are pure joy.
I have some friends that bring me joy all the time and probably don't even know they do it or how. Each of them is just being who they are and letting God live through them and it is a beautiful thing. And each of them does it in a different way and God uses each of their lives to build on the other in order to form a beautiful picture of Himself for me to gaze at in amazement. I'd like to tell you about them so they can bless you with joy, too.
I was just interrupted from writing this blog by a call from one of them... So I'll start with her. She is tuned in to God's heart for me so much that almost every time I am in need of an encouraging word or blessing, she calls or text messages or emails something that not only encourages me but challenges my mind and heart to move nearer to God in some way - even if it is something silly she sends just for fun. She just called to tell me how one of her college finals went and to thank me for praying. Just seeing her name pop up on my phone gives me joy... and I find even more joy when she asks me what one of her dreams really means or why a particular character in the Bible is in there or what a certain verse has to do with anything else. Her nearness makes me move nearer to God and is a picture of His nearness to me for sure. She is such a joy.
Another of these precious friends asks questions, too. But her questions are probing and force me to look deep inside my heart and deep inside God's heart for truth and understanding. She brings me joy most when her questions cause me to look for an 'action step' - not just look for philosophical truth and understanding but practical information that moves me forward in kingdom purposes as I know more of God's heart for His kingdom. Her hunger for more of Him causes her to pierce my heart, soul and spirit with questions that make me hungry, too. And what joy I find as I discover more about me and about Him in the searching. Her searching spirit is a picture of God as He searches deep inside of me and longs for me to search Him out, too. She is such a joy.
"Faithful" describes another of my friends. It is very interesting how she usually steps into my world with words that move me to trust - to faith - to believe - so that I will take the 'action steps' my searching reveals when I draw near to God's heart...and I find myself being faithful, too. Her life is lived out as an expression of great faith and I don't think she realizes the impact of it. But her faith moves her to take steps to be Jesus to the world while I look on in wonder at her active responsiveness to His leading. She inspires me to live out my faith every day in every way by simply being a friend who "faiths it." What great joy she brings!
I wish I had time to tell you about all of my friends but I don't - so I'll just share about one other. She is a sweet spirit who loves deeply like God loves deeply. When she hugs me she always pulls back and looks into my eyes with a wonderful smile that has to be an exact reflection of how God is looking at me. When she does it I see and feel His delight, His pleasure, His joy, His love. And so I am encouraged to draw near, encouraged to probe deep, encouraged to have the faith to take steps forward, and so blessed by love that my heart wants to explode. I crave the joy of her smile!
Father God, thank you for all of the wonderful friends You have placed in my life - all of them. Each of them is a part of You and a blessed expression of You that fills me with joy. Thank you for knowing that I need friends and for giving me the most wonderful ones You could. They truly are a picture of You that makes me draw near to You, search out the deep things of You, move forward in faith with You, and rest in the amazing love that is You. Sigh............ My friends are such joy. Will You be the same kind of friend through me so that I can bless them with beautiful pictures of You?
I John 4:7 Dear friends, let us love one another, for love comes from God. Everyone who loves has been born of God and knows God.
Amy
I have some friends that bring me joy all the time and probably don't even know they do it or how. Each of them is just being who they are and letting God live through them and it is a beautiful thing. And each of them does it in a different way and God uses each of their lives to build on the other in order to form a beautiful picture of Himself for me to gaze at in amazement. I'd like to tell you about them so they can bless you with joy, too.
I was just interrupted from writing this blog by a call from one of them... So I'll start with her. She is tuned in to God's heart for me so much that almost every time I am in need of an encouraging word or blessing, she calls or text messages or emails something that not only encourages me but challenges my mind and heart to move nearer to God in some way - even if it is something silly she sends just for fun. She just called to tell me how one of her college finals went and to thank me for praying. Just seeing her name pop up on my phone gives me joy... and I find even more joy when she asks me what one of her dreams really means or why a particular character in the Bible is in there or what a certain verse has to do with anything else. Her nearness makes me move nearer to God and is a picture of His nearness to me for sure. She is such a joy.
Another of these precious friends asks questions, too. But her questions are probing and force me to look deep inside my heart and deep inside God's heart for truth and understanding. She brings me joy most when her questions cause me to look for an 'action step' - not just look for philosophical truth and understanding but practical information that moves me forward in kingdom purposes as I know more of God's heart for His kingdom. Her hunger for more of Him causes her to pierce my heart, soul and spirit with questions that make me hungry, too. And what joy I find as I discover more about me and about Him in the searching. Her searching spirit is a picture of God as He searches deep inside of me and longs for me to search Him out, too. She is such a joy.
"Faithful" describes another of my friends. It is very interesting how she usually steps into my world with words that move me to trust - to faith - to believe - so that I will take the 'action steps' my searching reveals when I draw near to God's heart...and I find myself being faithful, too. Her life is lived out as an expression of great faith and I don't think she realizes the impact of it. But her faith moves her to take steps to be Jesus to the world while I look on in wonder at her active responsiveness to His leading. She inspires me to live out my faith every day in every way by simply being a friend who "faiths it." What great joy she brings!
I wish I had time to tell you about all of my friends but I don't - so I'll just share about one other. She is a sweet spirit who loves deeply like God loves deeply. When she hugs me she always pulls back and looks into my eyes with a wonderful smile that has to be an exact reflection of how God is looking at me. When she does it I see and feel His delight, His pleasure, His joy, His love. And so I am encouraged to draw near, encouraged to probe deep, encouraged to have the faith to take steps forward, and so blessed by love that my heart wants to explode. I crave the joy of her smile!
Father God, thank you for all of the wonderful friends You have placed in my life - all of them. Each of them is a part of You and a blessed expression of You that fills me with joy. Thank you for knowing that I need friends and for giving me the most wonderful ones You could. They truly are a picture of You that makes me draw near to You, search out the deep things of You, move forward in faith with You, and rest in the amazing love that is You. Sigh............ My friends are such joy. Will You be the same kind of friend through me so that I can bless them with beautiful pictures of You?
I John 4:7 Dear friends, let us love one another, for love comes from God. Everyone who loves has been born of God and knows God.
Amy
You sound like a pretty good friend yourself. Hmmm... You know? I think your honesty and vulnerabilty are pretty special. I know Jesus is pleased with you and delights in how you are using the gifts he has given you. Keep on keepin' on. 1 John 3:18-20 =)
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Thanks, friend.
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