Your tribe is your vibe, part 3

     Let me tell you about my other best friend. I met this woman when I was in my 40s. Her husband and my husband were friends first because they worked together, and then she and I connected through church. Honestly, at first I wasn't sure that I wanted to be friends with her. She and her husband had separated and some things that happened between them had gotten back to me through conversation, so I kind of felt a little bit wary.

    I'm not even 100% sure what even brought us together to get to know each other. I remember suggesting to my husband that the 4 of us go out to dinner one night for a double date, and by the end of the night, she and I exchanged numbers and started talking pretty regularly. Then we started sitting together at church.

    Then we actually started sharing things with each other- the nitty gritty stuff. She had been unfaithful to her husband as well, and she and I were both dealing with the fallout and rebuilding from that. It's a heck of a bond to share with someone and then build a friendship from. But, there was also something really special about having someone in my life who understood and identified with my struggles, my demons, and above all the progress.

    It allowed me to be a little bit more open about my past, about the choices I had made, and about what I was dealing with in the present. She and I agreed that we felt far less judged talking to each other, because we were both walking that same road. We were not justifying our actions, we were just sharing our perspectives, our hurts, and our feelings.

    We texted each other prayers and scriptures every day. We would reach out in the middle of the day, checking in. When one of us was struggling with self loathing, or the enemy would get in one of our heads, we would battle for each other in prayer. We would send each other songs, and sometimes just funny memes to make each other laugh.

    We started getting together during the week to do a Bible study together, just the two of us. During that time, we would share our week- triumph and trials. We would pray for each other's families and kids, we would pray for our husbands, we shared struggles and victories in the rebuilding of our relationships. When one of us felt like we couldn't pray, the other stood in the gap.

    And when my house with literally burning to the ground, she stood in my front yard with me and held me when I cried.

    I don't know how I would have survived this rebuilding of life without her in my life. I can't tell you how important it has been to me to have someone who is walking the same path at the same time. Who offers love and friendship without judgment, who does not look at me and see my mistakes, who cheers me on and knows the woman that God created me to be. She has been a true gift and blessing to me. 

    On the days when one of us hears the enemy whispering in our ear about our past, the other reminds her (and the enemy) who has the victory. God has a plan and a purpose for our lives, and I'm so thankful that we are along for the ride as God leads us both.