Wednesday, October 12, 2011

Girlfriends are from God

When I was in college, I always wondered about the girls who constantly had a boyfriend or always had dates that would preclude them from participating in events designed just for the women in the dorms. If I'm honest, part of me was envious of the girls who seemed to have guys lined up to date them. If they broke up with a boyfriend, there was someone waiting in the wings to prevent any "down time" in their couple status. They experienced a seamless flow of romantic bliss, but never experienced estrogen and giggles in bulk. They were never present for the movie nights where we sat around in pajamas, pig tails and socks, ate M&M's by the pound, and cried at chick flicks that seemed so much better than they really were because we were watching them together. They missed out on the women only Thanksgiving dinner fashion show, where every girl dressed up as their favorite dish from everyone's favorite meal (somewhere there floats a photo of me as a roasted, stuffed turkey). At the time, I felt a bit like a loser, especially when the tiny, cute blonde girl returned from her date looking amazing in her black leather jacket, jeans and boots, just as I was parading down the "runway" in my stuffed turkey get-up.

In retrospect, I wouldn't trade any of that "girl time" for more dates or a longer list of ex-boyfriends. I love my husband and I love being married. Obviously, God designed us to enjoy romance, fall in love, and have the most intimate type of relationship with our spouse. I'm so thankful he also gave us girlfriends! There are girlfriends who know more than you do because they've been on this earth a little bit longer.  There are girlfriends who know exactly how to make you laugh when you just don't feel like anything will ever be funny again.  There are girlfriends who will cry when you cry, even if they have no idea exactly what you're crying about. There are girlfriends whose faith is strong and whose prayers are constant. At times, you need every one of those girlfriends. At other times, you are those girlfriends.

In simplest terms, it's community, connection to people who are willing to be real and honest. They bring their specific talents and gifts into your life and, together, you're better than you are alone. Don't ever understimate the value in getting to know other women within the context of the church. It shouldn't matter if you have "plenty of friends." The likelihood is that there's someone who needs you, and it's a certainty that God can and will use every relationship if we let Him. If you're scared of "women's ministry," try picturing every woman dressed as yams or cranberry sauce. You've got to admit, it'd be hard to pass on that event! Check out upcoming events and join us, please.

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