After an absolutely amazing weekend in Minneapolis with Girls of Grace, I came home and needed some things.
Mainly, some time with my people.
Now listen, I love Love LOVE my GOG family, like whoa love them. And I love Love LOVE the ministry we get to do in each city. God literally stunned me this weekend with His heart for these girls and His presence at the event. I can’t even describe it.
But after being around 3000+ people for twelve-ish hours and being on the road for four days of the last seven, I needed to rest [as we discussed Friday]… I needed that kind of rest that looks like your BFFs riding in a car with the windows down and a Sonic drink in your hand and hipster music blaring from the speakers. With my people, but calmly quiet.
So Lyndsay and I loaded up and drove away from Nashville. [Nichole was busy painting her bedroom MONACO BLUE – don’t even get me started. It’s gorgeous. I over-explain, lest you should think we had a BFF breakup.]
We drove for a while to a little local small town known for it’s adorableness. And adorable it was. We had ice cream and made up an entire storyline about Tony the Tiger’s bully stepbrother [we’re freaks… but we’re funny] and we just lived in the same space for a few hours.
With big writing deadlines looming [today!] and another week of crazy travel, I am learning this new season and trying to respect when my heart yearns for my people, even when it means I step away from important work and ministry.
And yesterday, it did all of that- my heart yearned and work needed to wait. And over ice cream and laughs and car rides and music and antique stores and quiet, my heart was filled.
. . . . .
I haven’t always had people here, ya know. In fact, when I moved here, I had four.
Four friends.
Kevin. Mandy. Jason. Marisa.
That’s it.
Four people in this whole city who even knew my name.
Those four, and the ones who have come along since? I recognize them for what they are- gifts. Gifts that God has entrusted to me- all of which I am terribly undeserving.
(in)courage is talking all about community this month. This week, the focus is on how to build community and I got to write a post all about how to find friends.
You know me, you know I don’t know everything. But I wrote a bit in this post about things I’ve seen work for me when it comes to making friends. I’d love for you to improve my post by leaving a comment of other ways you have found friends.
. . . . .
I could go on and on about my people here in Nashville. I want to start listing friends and how they are a blessing, but I would inevitably leave someone out and that would be a rotten thing to do on a Monday. Suffice it to say, I am blessed beyond measure in quality of friendship- in the end, quality of quantity.
And the quality of my friends? Gals like Lyndsay and Nichole?
Beyond. Measure.