#9 - A FRIEND WHO WILL GO ANYWHERE WITH YOU

A couple of weeks ago my friend Malorie and I went out to dinner with our husbands. She lives in Delaware, so I only get to see her once a year…not nearly enough for two writers and talkers like us. After dinner we excused ourselves to the restroom and were deep in conversation. We kept right on talking all the way into the men’s restroom, yes that’s right we went in the men’s restroom and were greeted by a gentleman at the stand up potty (why do they always put those at the entrance?). He looked at us (made eye contact - weird) and said you’re in the wrong bathroom. We burst into hysterics! I laughed through my whole restroom visit.

It made me think how blessed I am to have a friend that I can make a mistake with and we can laugh about it together (we’re still laughing). She’s also the friend that will stand for me when I can’t. She has praised God for me, when I couldn’t utter the words. She has battled the enemy for me, when I didn’t see what he was doing. She has taught me truth and grace by example and action rather than preaching. I am BLESSED!

I’ve made visits to the men’s restroom by myself before, but it wasn’t nearly as much fun alone. Kind of like life…we can make mistakes and be isolated and try to hide them, but there is no value in that. Making mistakes surrounded by people who love the Lord and love us are opportunities for personal growth and strengthening of the friendship.

One great thing about Malorie is that if I told her the Lord said we should go into the men’s restroom she would have gone as easily as she did by mistake and that is PRICELESS. My pastor says to surround yourself with “crazy” people and by that he means people who are not afraid to appear crazy to the world to do as the Holy Spirit leads. Malorie is my CRAZY friend! If you have a friend like that I’m sure you already know how blessed you are and if you don’t pray, and ask the Lord to send you one and He will. Be open it may not be what you are expecting.

The picture in this post is an actual photo of the door of the men’s restroom we visited. In my blogging mind I knew there was a story in that.

Colossians 3:13-17 Bear with each other and forgive whatever grievances you may have against one another. Forgive as the Lord forgave you. And over all these virtues put on love, which binds them all together in perfect unity. Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, since as members of one body you were called to peace. And be thankful. Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly as you teach and admonish one another with all wisdom, and as you sing psalms, hymns and spiritual songs with gratitude in your hearts to God. And whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him.