On Unique Seasons & Friendships

I've come to terms recently with the fact that life happens in seasons. It's one season after another, none more important than the other. Different than the other? Absolutely.

I had an epiphany this weekend that I'm currently, in what I like to call, a weird season of life. I know weird can have a negative connotation, so for that reason, maybe I'll just call it a unique season. Because the last thing I want you to think is that I'm not enjoying this season, because I most certainly am!

After I graduated I prayed that I would get settled with my job at church and then eventually find a group of girls my age to do life with. I imagined I would join a small group with other young adult single girls working, we'd hit it off, and therefore, enjoy life together.

Two years later, my prayer has most certainly been answered, but not in that specific way.

I've never been one to lack friendships. I may or may not have said that before, but the Lord has blessed me beyond imagination in the friendships He's provided me for practically my entire life. I think it helps that I grew up in one church my whole life, giving time for certain friendships to blossom, but either way, I don't take them for granted.

So of course I'd assume that after graduation He'd bless me with friendship after friendship, and maybe even a relationship. You know, with a boy.

My first year back and working was probably the loneliest year I've had to date. I had just graduated from college, which automatically is a huge change, and also the time in life when all of your friends scatter. We all graduate, move and become adults making is a very strange time of finding your way again.

Graduating from High School is similar, but there are still the breaks where you all come together again and meet up.

At college graduation you don't have that guarantee that you'll see each other every Thanksgiving, Christmas, Spring Break or whatever holiday comes to mind. You have to work much harder at attaining your friendships after college. Add to that the fact that it's a huge wedding season after college. Marrying off BFF's doesn't get easier.

That first year back, even though it was the loneliest, was also sweet because I was given the opportunity to press into the Lord and make my relationship with Him all the more stronger and sweeter. No, it wasn't always fun or easy to do that, especially since I'm such a sanguine person, but looking back I wouldn't trade that year for anything. I grew a lot that year.

When I finally gained a routine, I realized that a lot of the people I was hanging out with were either our youth workers, specifically the ladies, all of whom are married with kids or high school students, of course, the girls.

At that time I was still praying for friends, without even realizing the blessing, and the people He'd placed in my life at that time. Or without being grateful for the girls He had placed in my life journeying through this season with me, but just didn't live in Houston.

Yes, at times I had many a pitty party because I was tired of feeling friendless. I just wanted some girls here that knew what I was going through. And yes, while I believe that we most certainly need people around us that know and understand are in the same season of life we're in, I'm even more convinced that He knows better what we need more than what we think we need or want.

As of this weekend, I'm even more convinced of that.

For the past two months or so, I've continued to hang out with two very distinct groups of people.

Those groups are high school girls and young moms. Those that are youth workers, and those that I met through mostly blogging.

On Saturday I spent all day hanging with my high school girls and youth workers at our Vision Conference. Everything about the whole day was wonderful! We get each other, we click, we laugh, we talk, we take pictures. They know me, I know them. Never, for one minute, do I ever feel friendless or wish I was somewhere else with "people my age." Quite frankly, I love spending time with my girls. Especially my high school senior girls.

And quite frankly, I love spending time with our youth workers. Dana, Anna, Alison, Lauri, Janet, and so many more. (Angie, we missed you!) I would consider each of them a mentor to me, whether they know it or not. They've worked in youth ministry longer than me, and they encourage me to press on when I feel overwhelmed or like I want to throw the towel it. It's a huge blessing to me, those church peeps.

Then, immediately following the conference I headed to meet Missy and Amanda so we could head to Debra's where she invited us to an evening at her house. She cooked us chicken spaghetti, salad, some yummy bread and most importantly some cupcakes. We had the best time sitting around chatting and just enjoying a quiet, simple evening. While any other girl may have felt out of place as they chatted some mommy and wife business (which is so not all we talked about, BTW), I felt like the most blessed girl in the world to be sitting among them gaining wisdom and advice from three ladies who are a few steps ahead of me in the adventure called life! And while they may or may not know this, I'd consider each of them to be a sweet mentor to me as well.

I feel that way every time I get the opportunity to hang out with them, which has been more often lately due to our blogup dinner, the scripture memory celebration, Valentine's Baking day and some other fun occasions. We had such a good time that we stayed until almost 10:30! I hope we do it again. Thanks, Debra for being such a fun host and for serving us! I hope you three ladies know how much you blessed my heart that night. I'm thankful for y'all!

If those aren't unique friendships, I don't know what are.

I've learned and accepted the fact that for what we think is best, the Lord always has better, and never fails to give us the better, because He is a God of grace.

Where I thought a handful of single girls would be the best for me in this season, and of course, maybe even a relationship, He's sent better friendships my way.

He's sent older friendships my way, ladies my way who can encourage me to press on in life, pour into me and guide me in this season, where in return, He's then placed those a few seasons behind me that I can in return, pour into and mentor them along the way.

They may be unique friendships, but I'm certainly the most blessed to call each of them my friends. And truly thankful that the Lord knows what I need in this season.

Thank you, Lord, for sending me better than I could have prayed, asked for or thought I even wanted.