Garden Friends

There's a respected pastor who came to speak at our church a while back. I don't remember what the sermon was actually about. BUT I do remember him talking about Jesus in His last moments before the grueling, torturous crucifixion process. He was with His closest friends. Not at the last supper, but in the Garden of Gethsemane.  The place where He laid down His will and sweat droplets of blood. He took his three closest friends. Of course, they all fell asleep on Him, but that's a different blog for a different day.

The pastor went on to say that it's healthy to have at least one "garden friend." A person we can go to our darkest place with. We can crack open our ribs, bear our heart, and have confidence that they will lift us closer to the arms of Christ. He said that if we don't have a garden friend to lay in the trenches with, we should pray for God to gift us with one.

Gratitude washed over me. I have not one, but three of these valued treasures.

Sara, I have known for the shortest amount of time, and she is my polar opposite. She's girly and chatty and classy and always well-manicured. Our relationship is primarily "text" based, which is wholly new to me. But she is always working on something HUGE to become more Christ-like. She challenges me to focus more on changing myself. We share similar struggles. She's a talker, and I'm a listener; it's a good thing we've got going.

Lisa B and I have been friends for about 9 years now-- most of that being long distance. She's not as far as Sara, who is about 11 hours away. So we're more able to meet half-way, get our kids together for things, and just reconnect. We are opposites in a separate direction than Sara and I are (Yes, I believe "opposites" can  include more than 2 directions). Lisa is an outdoorsy, garden-savvy, get-r-dun, solution-oriented, no-nonsense kind of gal. She is ALWAYS looking for (and hoping to give) solid, practical advise. She never calls "just to vent." Okay, there was one "sugar cookie" episode, but I'm willing to let that slide-- mainly because she recognized it for its pettiness.

Lisa G is my spiritual mother. I never fully understood what that could mean for a person. She's a step ahead of me in parenting-- with her kids moving out, getting married etc. She has been through the struggles I'm going through. When I'm drowning in housework and screaming kids and Rodney's latest thing that's going to drive me off a bridge, she extends her calm hand of clarity. That woman has got to spend more time on her knees with my issues than she does interceding for anyone else. It's in no way uncommon for her to offer scripture to help reset my compass. As I grow and learn about Christ, she finds opportunity to take a seat beside me and learn something for herself through my journey.

Growing up, all my friends were guys. They made me feel comfortable & accepted. When I got married, I started learning that I cannot have guys for friends. It was a bit of a crisis in my teenage head. Who likes girls? They're petty and dramatic and nit-picky and gossipy and superficial. But some women really are amazing. And I am SO blessed to have these particular 3 in my life right now. They all love God, and they all help keep me stabilized and healthy so I can see Him working in my own life.