So like I said yesterday, this weekend was interesting.
But something really beautiful came out of it. God has shown me the last couple of days why my plans changed. Sometimes it's hard to grasp what God is doing. I question and I often just "don't get it"... but slowly but surely, I see in time how He either adds or removes situations from my life for my good.
I've had a few really thought provoking conversations with some special ladies lately and this theme keeps reoccurring: transparency. And the impact that it has on friendships, relationships, in marriages, and in families. Without transparency, we're left in a superficial world where no one really knows what is going on in each others' lives. We all need to be reminded that other people's lives are similar... the good, the bad, the ugly. Disclaimer: This story ends on a lovely note.
On the way to the garage sale this weekend, one my girlfriends blindsided me with something she needed to get off her chest. It was barely 7 AM, I hadn't had coffee yet, and I sat there stunned and speechless. It was embarrassing to me because we were not the only ones in the car. I was humiliated. I was puzzled and confused. I fought back tears. I had absolutely no idea where this was coming from. Other than... my sweet friend is dealing and coping with the loss of her baby. Fearing that she would never be able to get pregnant because of various health problems, she surprised us all one day when we met for coffee and she pulled out a positive pregnancy test. This baby was a miracle. After 7 weeks, God took the baby home to be with Him. She is hurting. She has questions. She is trying to just get out of bed every day.
She ended up deciding to leave almost as soon as the conversation was over. I was so confused. The other girls and I went garage sale shopping anyway. Not because we were insensitive, but because it was all we could do... she didn't want us around. One of the girls drove her home and encouraged me to just get going with my day. She told me to remember that it wasn't my problem and wasn't a reflection of me... The situation was a simple misunderstanding, and my friend was just handling it the best that she could in the moment.
I am still amazed. Here was this precious friend of mine... hurting... and yet taking the time to do the right thing? Wow. I can't say I would have even been able to go that far if I were in her shoes. She went above and beyond to make things right between us. What an amazing example of a person who, despite their pain, did the right thing. I hear so many people say, "Oh, whatever, I was just ____ because I'm going through ____." I'm sorry, but going through ___ is not an excuse to sin, avoid, punish, or treat others like crap, people.
Communication and transparency... two beautiful things. Don't you find that you connect, relate and grow intimate on a whole other level with people that actually let you into their lives, that share their struggles, and lay it all out there? God doesn't want us to hold it all in. He wants us to have community with one another.
Ironically enough, my cousin wrote this on her Facebook page that night,
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