Thank you for being a friend

There's an eighties song by Andrew Gold that captures what I'd like to say today. It starts with these lines, "Thank you for being a friend. You've traveled down the road and back again. Your heart is true, you're a pal and a confidant."

During my desert walk, there were so many who came alongside and fought for me. Some with me, challenging me to see the truth. :-) They prayed and listened and loved me well. And I want to say thank you.

To my husband: It’s been a tough eleven years. Here’s to learning to fight the right fight together and seeing all that God has in store for us. Thank you for choosing God and spending time with Him. Please keep looking through His eyes at the man He created you to be~ the man you truly are. Thank you for coming out of hiding and into the Truth, into healing. Your strength and courage remind me to run to God as you have done. In the desert, the dark, or on the beach, God is showing me you are His good gift to me. I love you.

To my daughters: In your precious prayers I found the courage to keep walking. You believe God still does miracles. Thanks to each of you and the awesome God we love, I see again how true that is. God is good... you remind me of that daily. I love you so much!

To my best friend: Jen, you continue to point me to the Lord and show me that who He created me to be is good. By your life, your wise words, and your love you reveal the beauty of the Lord. Even when the passionate way I live wears you out. ;-) I’m a glorious mess. Thank you for fighting for me and loving me well. The gift of you as my best friend is one I treasure and count a great privilege to enjoy. I love you and thank God for you.

To the Princess Bible study group: Knowing you all has made me a better person. You are each beautiful, precious young ladies~ daughters of the King. We've shared our hearts, and what God has done and continues to do is an awesome reminder of the good God we serve. Thank you. I also want to say thanks for the email reminders of your prayers, and the Dove chocolate bar coupon. You know me and love me well. I love you too.

To my Threshing Floor partners: You all not only make my writing shine, you walk beside me and comfort me with your amazing prayers. Thank you for sharing my hurts and my joy. I love you Jen, Mary, and Staci and I thank the Lord for putting us together.

To Steph and Rob: Thank you for entering into the painful journey of healing with me. Your prayers touched my heart and my marriage. Your emails helped me define what I believe and helped me see more clearly what the Lord is doing. Your love is a gift. I love you both. God did put us together for a reason~ a very good one. His glory and our good. He's so awesome!

To my Momsloop friends: You all have prayed and talked me through many a crisis and shared much laughter too. Thank you for your longstanding love and friendship. I love you all.

To the others who have shared their stories with me and wish to remain unnamed, I want to say thank you too. Your courage to share your heart reminded me that I'm not alone. Not in the pain or in the coming joy. God has good in store and you are a living, loving reminder of that truth. Thank you! I love you. God has blessed me so much with your friendship.

All of these precious people have walked with me in the desert and been the voice of the Lord when it was hard to listen. To each of them I say, "THANK YOU!" a thousand times over.

Friendship is one of God's greatest gifts. I've spent much of my life without that gift being too afraid of really sharing my heart for fear it would be rejected or not matter. After years of praying and learning to come out of hiding, I'm beginning to enjoy this most amazing blessing.

God is good. You are all living proof.