He isolated me. Hid me away for seven years. During those years he stripped me bare. Exposed the wounds. Stitched me up. Healed my mind and refilled it with what was righteous and true. He pieced my heart back together by filling it with an unworldly view. His view.
When the physical and psychological rebirth were complete He answered my prayers. I had prayed steadfastly for Godly friends. I knew I could not go back to my former ways. The Lord answered my prayers. No, actually He exceeded them. He led me out of the wilderness.
Through a series of events, which can only be described as supernatural, God guided me to a bible study with over 80 women. It was there that I learned my earthly value as a human being from a biblical perspective. Those women met me where I was. They loved me despite myself.
Over a decade later I am abundantly blessed and privileged to call many of those same women my best friends. True sisters in Christ. I had never had friendships like these before. Most of these women are in different towns. We may not talk every day or see each other but once a week. But they are my life line. Women who get together regularly to laugh, cry, cheer each other on, laugh some more, pray together, and praise God for being His daughter(s). His Bride. No gossiping. No judgement. No criticism. No back stabbing. No hidden agendas. No jockeying for position. Friendships as God calls them to be.
I love each of these Ephesians 4 friends dearly.
"Let no unwholesome word proceed from your mouth, but only such a word as is good for edification according to the need of the moment, so that it will give grace to those that hear. Let all bitterness and wrath and anger and clamor and slander be put away from you, along with malice. Be kind to one another, tender-hearted, forgiving each other, just as Christ has forgiven you"-Ephesians 4:27-31
As our world gets more complicated I find that my "inner circle" has become ever increasingly simple and small. And that, for me, is a good thing. God calls us to live in a like minded community with other Believers. We need checks and balances to walk with the Lord. We should be reflecting an attitude of Godly living not by our words but by the fruit of our actions. We need our brothers and sisters to walk beside us. To lift each other up. To encourage each other. To serve one another.
What we do not need is the drama and chaos of the "friendships" paraded out before us on television. Reality TV relationships should never be our reality. I grieve for all of our daughters who believe that Desperate Housewives are the norm. There is no desperation in a life walked with friends in Christ's name.
"Hold tightly to what is good"~Romans 12:9
