Lunch with Friends

I don't think I will ever forget this afternoon as long as I live. I got to have lunch with three sweet friends: Jenny, Stephanie, and Sarah (Jenny isn't in the picture b/c she was back at work by then, and also Tara was supposed to come but couldn't b/c she had sick kiddos). This wasn't a normal lunch, though...this was Sarah's first visit back to WF from California since losing her precious little girl Sterling to a very rare and aggressive form of cancer several months ago. In the midst of catching up with family and other friends, Sarah was able to hang out with us, some of her former small groupers before they moved. 

What I have found with true sisters in Christ is that we can often get right to the heart of things in conversation. And boy did we that afternoon. Over lunch and for a looooong time afterwards, we talked about all kinds of things: grief, pain, coping with loss, some moments from their precious last few weeks with Sterling, marriage, homeschooling and raising kids, church... Sarah was vulnerable enough to share some of the overwhelming bigness and anguish of her grief and at the same time some of precious things she is learning in the midst of this excruciating time... and how God is faithfully sustaining and comforting her through it... and how at the end of the day, she still believes that God is good. So good.

I have shared some very intimate moments with all three that I ate lunch with that afternoon, and of course Tara too, over these last several years. What an incredible gift from the Lord to provide sisters in Christ who push me toward Himself even just from their example of how they walk with Him. There are different things about each woman's faith and life that I respect and look up to, and for such godly friends I am so thankful.

And now, for some lightheartedness at the end of a serious post....

Such sweet, cute kids! And so patient while we talked!!

Bastien, Abby, and Anna Kate

God, You really are so good. Thank you.