A Toast to Friends

I happen to be right about God's incredible talent of filling those gaps that I mentioned in my last blog. I attended several Elevation meetings with the office staff yesterday morning. It was a difficult goodbye followed by a three hour drive home listening to my "Driving" playlist on iTunes, thinking about the lengthy and tiring summer full of intense blessings and cursing discouragements.

Hello hugs from my parents were wonderful, but it was different from every other time that I have come home. I had not been home in over a month, but I had spoken with one of them nearly every day on the cell phone. I had missed them, but I had also been majorly busy, focusing my energy on other emotions and activities. I knew that they were proud of me, the decisions I have been making, and the changes within and without myself, so there was a peace in that distance, making ours a more grown-up homecoming.

Last night, I had my best friends (Paul, Corey, Ben, Neal, Tim, Melissa, and Lauryn) over for a party where we did shots of Coca-Cola and had a singing, guitar/piano-playing extravaganza. We have the best times together. Suddenly I realized how deeply I had missed having unconditional friends. My heart bursts with love for them and several other close friends who weren't present. I pray that they feel how truly I adore them.

Missing people whom I love had become part of my life for the past few months. I had forgotten what it was like to have them right next to me -- feeling their voices instead of merely hearing them through the phone, laughing simply to hear ourselves laugh, smiling with them in silence of good thoughts, praying with them in a happy and real way.

And tonight... this blessing that one might call "once-in-a-lifetime", somehow comes once again, as always, in the most peculiar times and strategic places.