This year I have been given the gift of friendship. I was caught in a trap of believing I wasn’t a good friend, that I didn’t really have friends, that I was fine without friends. Early in the year, the Lord released me from this ugly snare and has given me many good gifts of friendship.

I am so very thankful.
And a little sad. 
I missed some years of good friendship and I’ve realized it takes time to clean up the mess.

I hold fast to core of my faith —

And in his abundant goodness, he has blessed me with more friends than I dared to imagine. They have permeated my life as a teacher and coach and writer and speaker and mom and community member and wife and church-goer.

My friends are genuine and real. The relationships go beyond the surface and into meaningful, faith-filled encouragement and support. I’m in awe at the number of friends who care about me. It doesn’t seem possible.

They span generations and genders.
They spatter the globe.
The spin into my story and offer solace and goodness.

God reaches down, cups my face and whispers, You are not a friendship failure.

Then, as if he needs to punctuate his point, God does the friendship-impossible.