6th grade year, I was an aloof gal with braces and about as much self confidence as a speck of dust. There was this guy who would hang around all the girls and flirt with them. No one really paid him any mind. He was shorter than me and had the maturity of a 10 year old, lol.
We ended up spending a lot of time with each other because we both just had a lot of the same passions and enjoyed participating in a lot of similar things. Sound booth. Check. Puppet ministry. Check. Choir. Check. Band. Check. Sunday night worship. Check. Wednesday night Bible study. Check. EVERY youth trip. Check. Mission trips. Check. Lock-ins. Check. You get the picture.....lol.
He was kind of "out there" and he really got under my skin so I tried to not be around him more than absolutely necessary, but as you can see, that didn't work out real well :P
My 7th grade year (I think....it might have been my 6th) we attended a summer camp and during that time one of the leaders challenged me to befriend him. They said that I seemed to be the only girl who could say something and he would really listen. He also said that he thought that we could teach each other a lot.
I accepted the challenge and we did become really close friends! We have taught each other a lot.
He taught me how to throw a football. He taught me how to laugh at myself. He taught me that it's okay to cry every once and awhile. He taught me how to worship unashamedly. He taught me what a real, genuine, hug is. He taught me how it's okay to sometimes go with the flow. He taught me that befriending people that are different is pretty cool. He taught me that words can kill or change a life for the better. He taught me how to pray for other people.
He's insulted me more than a lot of people, but also made me feel more beautiful than a lot of people. He has supported me in things that are truly important. He has ditched me a lot, but also come through for me when a lot of people wouldn't have. He has seen me laugh, cry, and anything in between. He has seen me sick and had compassion on me. He has walked with me through a lot of crucial moments this year where I needed a friend more than anything else.
Sure, he drives me up the wall on a fairly weekly bases, but I couldn't imagine life without him. He's like an older brother. He's still cocky, he still is sometimes immature (but so am I). He is now a foot taller than me.
Who would have thought....I went from wanting nothing to do with him, to being practically family. Man....God has a sense of humor and I am blessed! And that's just one friend. Each of my friends are just as unique :)
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| VA Beach trip July 2014 |
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| Graduation Sunday 2013 |
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| Halloween event 2012 |
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| Greenville, SC Mission trip 2013 |
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