Steady.

First off, a very Happy Birthday to my sweet Daddy today - even as I'm away in Africa.

The overwhelming theme of the first few weeks of this year has been friendship.  As I've explored my current relationships and thought through what I want this year to look like in terms of relationships it's occurred to me that what I've learned in the last year is to be steady. Life rocks our relationships from time to time but I've learned in the midst of the ups and downs of the day to day and the turmoil that some relationships enter for a season, what people most need in a friend is for them to be steady.

I've walked through some hard situations with friends the last few months - from trying times in their marriages, to issues of faith, to broken relationships, through betrayals and hurts.  I have learned through these situations to be what I most desire in my friends, there.

Recently I really saw the value in this.  I have found an incredible friend through an unexpected series of circumstances.  I continue to be blown away by how only a few months later he holds such a big piece of my heart and has become one of the first people I want to call - good or bad.  He has broken through my trust barriers and he has walked with me through the ups and downs of this football season, some tough career decisions, big changes in my relationships, and the preparation for this trip to Africa.

I am learning more than ever to be steady.  To be consistent.  To be there.  To be slow to act and but quick to offer a listening ear.

I'm grateful for those who are teaching me this, and those who are letting me learn with them.

Love,
B