Friendships Are A Gift From God

God is so good.  He has every detail of our lives planned.  The relationship I have with Bethel is definitely a precious gift from God.   Long before I met her, long before I was born God knew what our friendship would look like.  Just this past year we have grown so close and also grown in Christ.  God  gave us each other for counsel and fellowship and simply a quality friendship.

It started about this time last year.  We both wanted to start exercising consistently so we decided to get together and play Just Dance at least three times a week.  This was the extent of our friendship.  We both went to Orphan Sunday at our church in November and the next time we worked out together we started to talk about what God did in our hearts that day.  This is when we began to consider going on a missions trip.

Bethel and I work so well together.  I am a good organizer but I lack the ambition to follow through with my own plans.  Bethel takes ideas or plans and she runs with them.  She has such drive to get things done.  When I felt like giving up she was inspired. We mesh so well together.  She helped me keep going when I felt insecure.  With every frustration she was there comforting me and giving me good counsel.  We spent a lot of time in prayer and worship leading up to the trip.

In Ethiopia, God broke us to pieces.  He tore our hearts in so many ways.  We ache for those people and that city.  In this brokenness, we were able to come together in praise to worship our Almighty Father.  With every emotion that flooded our hearts, we were able to turn them to Christ.  Having a friend who knows exactly what your heart is feeling is so helpful to keep you accountable.  She was able to help me remember to praise God even when times seem rough and I felt helpless for those people.  She has the leadership gift to turn every situation back to Christ. For this I am so thankful.
Since being home, Bethel continues to encourage me in my walk with Christ and loves me as her friend and sister.  She always knows how to comfort me.  Story time!

The day came when we were to share with Grace Fellowship the stories from our trip.  I was a nervous wreck... to say the least!  I loathe speaking in front of people.  All morning I was having strong anxiety.  My body was shaking and nothing could snap me out of it.  After church, I went to Bethel's.  I didn't talk much (I am a very quiet person when I am upset).  Based on the way I was acting she knew that the thing I needed was laughter.  She put in a funny movie with one of my favorite actors.  She knows me so well!

Another day, I stopped by her house after a hard day at work.  I walked in kind of miserable.  She mentioned that I left my bible and all my books there the previous night.  Without my books, I had not spent time with God that day.  She put on worship music to encourage me.  I wept with joy.  Just being in the presence of God completely changes your attitude.  My mood flipped right around and I sang praises to my God.

These are only two of many occasions that Bethel has ministered to me as a sister in Christ.  We have bonded more in this one year than I have bonded with someone else in many years.  God put us together to encourage and support each other.  He has mighty plans.  I so look forward to see where he takes our friendship as we travel back to Ethiopia and live there together for a year.

Bethel:  I am so blessed to have you as my friend.  Thank you for always encouraging me and making Christ the center of all our situations.  Thanks for putting up with my quirky personality and loving me no matter how weird I get.  Thanks for being completely blunt when I am wrong or when I am just being ridiculous.  I am so excited to serve God in Ethiopia with you.  I pray that our friendship will continue to bring glory to God and that we can be a witness of Christ to our peers.
~Carrie