Friends

I feel as if I am standing at the edge of the most beautiful lake - a lake so incredible it makes Lake Tahoe look like a pond - and as I stand there, the heat of the day is beating down and I long to get into the water - The idea of the water is so refreshing, I can't wait to get in and let the worries and struggles of my day disappear in the coolness of the water. But as I get in, I feel my breath being sucked into my core! COLD! It is really cold! I stand there for a while, getting used to the coldness and enjoying the change - but then I go deeper - shock again! I feel the sharp intake of breath and let out a yelp! But the excitement of the cold water calls me deeper - it is a shock because of the difference in temperature - but the benefit far outweighs the initial feelings! So I go deeper, with each step, getting further and further out of my "comfort" but being introduced to something that was better than I could have ever imagined!
That is how I have felt getting to know my friend Chris - It has been great fun - and shocking - as I realize how incredibly different we are and how some times we aren't even close to the same page....And then as I continue to hang out with him, we have moments of connection that are as if we have been friends for a long time. We have deep conversations, and yet we can just share stories and laugh with each other! We hang out and I get shocked by the similarities - or the differences - but the enjoyment of the friendship has been better than I could have pictured! It is such a blessing to have friends like this - God is teaching me so much through them - I have learned so much about myself through Chris...He has made me see my friendships differently and also he has made me see myself more correctly and most importantly - he has made me see the God we worship differently. I have learned from him as he has grown over the last few months - and even the changes he has made in the last week! It is always fun to hang out with someone who is being changed into the Divine Image - and this is true of Chris! Again - I feel incredibly blessed and have no way to express this gratitude to him and the many others that God has given me - so, I will have to pretend that sending it out into cyberspace will show them how much I need them and how much I care for them and how important they are to me!