My Best Friend

There are many times in my walk with God when I honestly wonder what in the world He is up to and how He is working things out for my good. Current situations and circumstances sometimes cloud the big picture of what God is creating. But one thing I love to do is look back on other times in my life where I am now able to see the big picture, or at least a bigger part of it. One such time is the story of how I met my best friend and how God weaved circumstances and events to create a beautiful friendship that I enjoy with her today.

Almost 6 years ago, I was in Honolulu getting ready to start orientation before I began 10 weeks of mission work on the Big Island of Hawaii. I had yet to meet my mission partner and all I knew about her was that her name was Amy and she had red hair. I was very apprehensive about the next 10 weeks for a few reasons: 1) I had never been away from home for that long before, and 2) I had originally been assigned to serve those 10 weeks with a friend I had met doing mission work the summer before but she had opted out and decided to get married. I had considered not even going myself, I wasn't sure I wanted to serve the 10 weeks with someone I had never met before and might not even get along with.

Amy and I finally met and we went through orientation with all the other missionaries who would be serving in Hawaii that summer. After a few days, we flew to the Big Island to meet our supervisor and begin our work. Our job was going to be to travel to different towns all over the island doing VBS and Backyard Bible Clubs. Needless to say, our first week was a little awkward and somewhat stressful as we tried to get to know each other and get used to our new surroundings. It would be 2 years later when I went to Arkansas to be a bridesmaid in Amy's wedding that we both realized just how interesting that first week was. Amy had called home that week and told her mom, "I don't know how I'm going to get through these next 10 weeks. Angie never talks, she is so quiet all the time. I'm going to go crazy! How am I going to get through this?" I called home that same week and said, "Amy talks all the time! She never shuts up! She drives me crazy. These are going to be the longest 10 weeks of my life!" Who says God doesn't have a sense of humor??

Over those 10 weeks, Amy and I grew closer and by the end of the summer, she was one of my closest friends. I often look back over that summer and wonder how Amy and I came to have such a strong bond and I honestly believe it was because of the trials and adversities we faced that summer. Granted, it was amazing to spend those weeks in Hawaii and enjoy the beauty and wonder of God's creation. We met a lot of nice people at the various churches we served, we had a few little girls make first time commitments to Christ, and we got to spend our free time exploring - snorkeling, caving, cliff jumping, walking over lava at the volcano - but in our personal lives, we went through some difficult times. I wasn't getting along with my dad back at home and I would get the news in July that my step-dad had died suddenly...Amy found out a friend of hers back home was sick...and we had a very discouraging supervisor who didn't make our jobs as missionaries easy at all. As we traveled all over the island and faced each day, the only constants we had were God and each other. When we got to a new town and new absolutely no one, we had each other. I believe it was those moments that we began to lean on each other and were able to confide in each other in a way that created such a strong bond.

When our 10 weeks were over, I cried as we said good-bye in the airport, wondering when or if I would ever see Amy again. We  stayed in touch over the next couple of months and in October, she called and asked if I wanted to serve with her on a team working in orphanages in India. That next summer, we spent 7 weeks working in 3 different orphanages and our experiences there allowed us to only grow closer.

Since then I was in her wedding in June of 2005, I flew down last spring to meet her little boy Peyton and this last weekend, she and Pey flew out to spend my birthday with me. It was an amazing time of relaxing and catching up with each other and just being together. The one thing I love best about my friendship with Amy is that we can go months or years without seeing each other but when we do, it's like we just saw each other last week. Amy is one of the only people I can completely let my guard down around and by myself. That in itself is such a freeing experience. I know I don't have to put on any kind of front for her or pretend to have it all together because she has seen me at some of my weakest and most broken moments. It's just part of the bond we share.

So, while I am sad this evening because Amy and Peyton have gone back to Dallas, I know I am extremely blessed to have such a wonderful friend (and there is a light at the end of the tunnel - I have tickets to fly down and see them in August!). She is truly a blessing from God and I love her so much. She has taught me so much about what it means to have faith and to live life to the fullest, never wasting a single moment. I am proud to call her my best friend!