A Gift of Words

July 13th, 2008

Richard Foster talks about a practice the Quakers use called “passing the peace”. The idea being, that you willingly and publicly verbalize what you love about someone as a way of edifying and encouraging that person along in their journey. It makes sense to tell a person while they are still living, all that you love about them instead of waiting for their eulogy when they die.

At times, in our little gathering of Christ followers, we practice this discipline. We go around the room and encourage each other with loving and encouraging words. Every time, this simple practice does more for me in the way of deep, inner healing, and a re-centering who I am in Christ and what he is doing in and through me, then almost anything else. You should practice it with a friend. Go for a walk and “pass the peace”. It is a transforming practice.

So today, I am going to “pass the peace” to a dear friend of mine. I grew up with only a brother and never had the experience of having a birth sister, so she is as close to a sister as it gets for me. We do not use the term “best friends” because it is a little high school. I work on not having any co-dependent relationships and feel that all of my girl friends are lovely and helpful and deeply special to me in different ways, each having a role to play in my life.

We met when we were just 21 and newly married in our sending church in Gainesville. This year we both turned 34, so there has been a lot of water under our collective bridges. We’ve grown up in the kingdom together in many ways. We’ve prayed for each other and learned about the dynamic ministry of the Holy Spirit together, praying and ministering side by side for who ever God put in our path. We’ve seen people get healed and delivered together, we’ve lead worship together, we’ve traveled together, built businesses together, learned to be Mothers together, learned to be stronger and better wives to our amazing husbands together, actively praying for and calling out the things we see God doing in each others lives all along the way. Our friendship has been built in the trenches, and maybe that it why it has endured the test of time, strain distance etc. I wish for all of you to have as loyal and honest and encouraging friend in your life as I have in her.

So today dear friend, I want to honor who you are as a mother a wife and a friend. You love your girls and your husband so gently and deeply. God has given you everything that you need to lead and teach your girls who they are meant to be. I respect how you are able to wait for God to move, in the lives of those around you, never pushing always putting others above yourself. I am challenged by your generosity and hope to one day be as generous as you are. Your gifts of administration and organization are spectacular and I learn something new from you most days of the week. Thank you for your loyalty and your honesty to me. Thank you for being willing to say hard things to me with love and respect, thank you for laughing at my absurdity and gently nudging me back into the realm of balance. I am better for knowing you.

So this year, continue to follow Jesus into the unknown, keep asking, seeking and knocking, share your little pearls of wisdom with me, as God reveals them to you and never loose sight of the fact that in Him, you are seen as royalty.

So now you know why I wanted to take your pictures the other night:-) With my heartfelt love and respect,

Amber

Entry Filed under: Friends