A new path forward.
December 17, 2022
After a night of “solving” the worlds problems and waking up to a dog howling at my daughter yelling in her sleep and my husband’s phone randomly deciding to play music in the middle of the night…I dragged my limbs out of bed at 5:45am to go hike with my dear new friend, as my youngest refers to her, short Brittnay. You know when you meet those people and it’s like: yes, you are the friend I prayed for.
Let’s back up to get to this point: This past fall, I helped lead a women’s home study on friendship and community. I have wanted to lead and bring women together in my home for a while. I prayed about the timing and my heart to be prepared for what that would mean. The issue is our family is busy, we will never not be busy, therefore there will never be a perfect time to start building community.
Further Backstory: One Sunday, I decided to just submit my name to help with women’s ministry at church and see what would come of it. Little did I know the Spirit was moving and my life would soon look a little different. A woman from church called and asked if I could come to a meeting that next evening. My initial response was to decline because C would be working late, P had soccer and the 2 older girls needed to be picked up, and S needed care as well. But, God. I brought it up to C and he said he would grab the girls and head to soccer so I could go. Really? What? ok.
I arrived on campus and headed to the meeting space, found a seat and waited awkwardly alone. When suddenly to my left, a woman, tall Brittnay
(you see why that was necessary now?), plopped herself down next to me and said, “wanna co-lead a group with me?” Every detail lined up.
I can only do Wednesday evenings. ok.
I need to bring my youngest sometime when my husband works late. ok.
Can we alternate hosting so it’s not all on one person? yes.
I really like this study on community, can we do that? sure!
Well, then. Ok. Here we go and we were going to start in a week. So back to the story.
5:45am wake-up, 380, 2 coffees, 2 donuts, 2 dogs, 2 women. Hiking at the McDowell Mountain Preserve on the Brown’s Ranch Road to Cholla Mountain Perimeter Loop for 7.1 miles. The golden, pink-purple hue rays were showing on the horizon and it left a blanket of shimmer on cactus that would otherwise spark danger.
I’ve prayed for true friendship for years. It’s a topic that has often initiated feelings of insecurity, jealousy, frustration, and depression. I would see other women connecting and doing life together and I’ve desperately wanted that but didn’t know how to get there. Through our women’s Bible study, about 8 random women came together to learn how to build community and connection and how it is commanded to be done biblically.
S.B. and I have naturally but intentionally created a habit to meet and hike, talk and pray together.
“As iron sharpens iron, so one person sharpens another.”
Proverbs 27:17
“Carry each other’s burdens, and in this way, you will fulfill the law of Christ.”
Galatians 6:2
These are the verses that embody our friendship. We are not there to coddle or condemn, approve wrong theology or behaviors. We are standing in faith that we can challenge each other through kindness and compassion. Speaking through the grace and mercy our Lord extended us. Galatians posits that we cannot fulfill the will and law of Christ if we do not carry each other’s burdens. We must seek out friendship and community so we can love our neighbor, so we can forgive, so we can sharpen and stir each other up to good works. When we are isolated and alone, we can do none of these.
I feel blessed that I am working towards friendship, towards community.
