that's the thing about friends!

so, this morning i thought, "i'll just catch up with some of my friends who blog" - and then it hit me - friends are the most important thing in the world. 


i was reading about my friend in Spain, who decided to be wild and crazy and travel to spain and be an au pair for a few months [still not sure how you can be an au pair in spain, isn't au pair french].  a friend that i randomly met at a conference - and then after a weekend of conferencing - friends! 


i we reading about my dear friend who is facing some very scary days ahead.  ironically, she was at the same conference mentioned above, but her focus now is on her health and family - so, she probably did not even realize that our friend was in spain.  we were at another conference when she got sick - and i had the PRIVILEGE of driving her home - great conversations!  but how did we get to be such great friends, well, thanks to our SC annual conference, we were appointed as campus ministry colleagues!  thanks to our bishop and cabinet.


yesterday, i had an in-depth conversation with another friend randomly placed in my life.  when you endeavor to do god's work, sometimes you get placed next to others who you may not normally be hanging out with.  again, it was a chance set of events that forced us to work together closely for a week - and from this set of 'not-so-glamorous' tasks shared together, tasks others did not want to do, there formed a friendship. 


and finally, but certainly not less importantly, there is my ultimate friend - my wife.  how is it that you can live closely with someone for while and not know they exist?  well, maybe because god knows you are not ready for the biggest and greatest moment in your life.  so, what happens?  well, you get on a train destined for NYC, and then you realize that your life is sitting beside you in the aisle.  you try not to notice, because you know you have NO shot with her, but something will not let you let go of that one in a million chance!  so you make it your mission on the streets of NYC to catch her eye - maybe you are succeeding, maybe not, but all the time you give it your best.  but what happens when the trip is over?  well, that's when the magic happens - you run into each other on campus, you meet for dinner, you go to concerts with friends - the whole time, acting as if it is 'random chance', but you know the truth.  they are calculated moments in time in which you are giving it your all.  in which you are hoping she will get to the point where she feels about you, the same way you feel about her.  but the most magical moment ever is when you realize after about 3 months, that she TOO was working in a calculated fashion to catch your eye! 

what are friends?  they are angels put in your life [randomly at times] by god, at moments you least expect them - to give you hope that the life you are leading is the life god has called you to.  so to ALL my friends, you are all the BEST!  and to that one special girl, who could have saved me a lot of time and energy by just letting me know i DID have a chance, i love you!