[1] The last two weeks I’ve been enjoying having my good friend Missy here. I met Missy just over four years ago when Bobby and I moved to Northern California after we were married. She was a leader for a small group of high school girls and Bobby, was the new high school director. But she wasn’t able to keep helping in that ministry and it wasn’t until a couple of years later that she and I really got to know each other.

The last two years I’ve been blessed by her friendship and especially as she came back and partnered with me in serving and guiding younger girls. I remember one day helping her start a blog–[2] Fixing My Eyes. She has written some very encouraging entries on it but hasn’t in months. Maybe you can help encourage her to keep writing! Some of my favorite times with Missy are the countless hours spent together at Starbucks talking about Scripture, family, ministry, and confessing our struggles to each other. She’s become more of a sister to me than just a friend.

In May Bobby and I accepted an exciting opportunity to move here to Orange County and minister to the high school students of [3] Compass Bible Church. Missy was so sad when we told her we would be moving. The day we loaded the truck she came to help me pack and we talked about how much we’d miss each other. I knew that things would change, but I wasn’t sure how.

[4] Only a couple of months after our move Missy told me that she felt God wanted her to move too. We talked about the details, prayed and waited. Two weeks ago she moved here! It is such an encouragement to me that she took that step of obedience and followed the Spirit’s prodding to move here. I know it won’t be easy as she transitions into her job, our church and makes new friends…but I am confident that the Lord will bless her if she is faithful to follow Him each day.

I mentioned before that I’m reading Damsels in Distress: Biblical Solutions for Problems Women Face by Martha Peace. Yesterday I finished a chapter about “idolatrous emotional attachments” one paragraph toward the end really encouraged to me–

Righteous friendships are a gift from God but so, too, is contentment–whether you have a special friend or not. The only antidote to loneliness…is delighting in the Lord and what He is doing in your life. Passionately and faithfully…worship and delight in the Lord. Then you will see how truly good He is. (p.55)

I was reminded that even the greatest friendship must not outweigh my contentment in the Lord. I know it can be easy to be too dependant on a mom/dad, husband/wife, child, boyfriend/girlfriend, or friend. Even though a relationship may be righteous and a source of spiritual encouragement and sharpening, we stand before God alone. Our utmost delight must be in Him.

I am thankful for the gift of a friendship and I am thankful that God is the cure for our loneliness. Without Him our friendships would be meaningless. He alone is our refuge and in Him we find strength and hope. He is the friend that we need.

“O taste and see that the Lord is good;
How blessed is the man who takes refuge in Him”
Psalm 34:8