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| Photo by Markuso |
Tonight we ended up at a local Thai restaurant ( hence the title of the post ) and I got the opportunity to get to know this fabulous friend a little better. I say a little because in true Miss365 current fashion I did most of the talking. And I promise I didn't mean to. And I didn't mean to talk about the work stuff because I didn't want to put her in an awkward situation or compromise her loyalties. Or more importantly change or alter her view on any of our common acquaintances where my work/Church life still crosses over. But I did and I tried to mostly
explain the situations and events rather than just whinge or cry "poor little me".
So by the time I had finished "blabbing" the restaurant was closing and my friend suggested I come over her place and we continue our chat. I warned her that she would need to kick me out when she had enough or wanted to go to bed because as you know I will choose talking over sleep, eating or almost anything given the opportunity. And I don't "see" hints. I need "Miss365 I'm going to have to kick you out now because it's almost 4 in the morning and I need to go to sleep".
You laugh but I've heard that more than once. ;)
We chatted until about 3am about a huge range of things and I just fell in love with her sparkle, humour and heart even more. And yeah, I fall in love with friends ( in a different way to guys of course ) because once I "fall" I have this insane sense of loyalty towards those that I do. Actually call me "Anne of Green Gables" - I understand her search for "kindred spirits". Some you have for a season, some you ride the waves of life with for years ( twelve and counting for some ).
What I mostly love about my friend is that she's been through something pretty huge in her life for the past couple of years, actually almost as long as I've known her, but that's just part of her puzzle. While she may see herself as different and she's used what she's been though in an awesome way I've always seen her as someone who just radiates the love and joy of God the whole time I've known her. Even when I didn't know what she was going through. I've never seen her as someone who ( and this is not specific to her just a general comment on reactions to people who have been through huge changes in their lives ) is more liked, or less liked, or more popular, or to be avoided, or to be looked after more, or to be left alone more, or to be rescued, or to be felt sorry for, or to be judged as to why they are going through such a hardship or why they aren't coming to Church every week, must be happy every week, or be prayed for all the time, or not at all or.....etc etc etc. She was just her. And I always thought it was horrid that she was going through what she was going through but I was intent on getting to know her "around" what she was going through. And she continued to radiate joy even when she didn't look like she felt it. She did.
And that's what I've wanted to be myself for such a long time - to be a person that has that 'thing' that extra something that people are drawn to that I KNOW is God and that I get to radiate Him. I was worried I lost that for most of last year, it felt buried, out of my control but thankfully God has given me some feedback in the form of a couple of people that I wouldn't have expected who didn't know what I was going through but still saw the love of God through me and in part because of that were drawn back to Him. *sigh* Thank you God.
So back to my friend. Her alias was going to be about her hair now being curly instead of straight but I've been thinking that is not a reflection of her at all and does not do her justice.
Tonight my Thai food patient friend shall be called....and it has nothing to do with baked goods....lol....
..because she does. She is covered in glitter ( blessings ) and she is constantly giving away glitter without realising it I'm sure. :)
xMiss365
explain the situations and events rather than just whinge or cry "poor little me".
So by the time I had finished "blabbing" the restaurant was closing and my friend suggested I come over her place and we continue our chat. I warned her that she would need to kick me out when she had enough or wanted to go to bed because as you know I will choose talking over sleep, eating or almost anything given the opportunity. And I don't "see" hints. I need "Miss365 I'm going to have to kick you out now because it's almost 4 in the morning and I need to go to sleep".
You laugh but I've heard that more than once. ;)
We chatted until about 3am about a huge range of things and I just fell in love with her sparkle, humour and heart even more. And yeah, I fall in love with friends ( in a different way to guys of course ) because once I "fall" I have this insane sense of loyalty towards those that I do. Actually call me "Anne of Green Gables" - I understand her search for "kindred spirits". Some you have for a season, some you ride the waves of life with for years ( twelve and counting for some ).
What I mostly love about my friend is that she's been through something pretty huge in her life for the past couple of years, actually almost as long as I've known her, but that's just part of her puzzle. While she may see herself as different and she's used what she's been though in an awesome way I've always seen her as someone who just radiates the love and joy of God the whole time I've known her. Even when I didn't know what she was going through. I've never seen her as someone who ( and this is not specific to her just a general comment on reactions to people who have been through huge changes in their lives ) is more liked, or less liked, or more popular, or to be avoided, or to be looked after more, or to be left alone more, or to be rescued, or to be felt sorry for, or to be judged as to why they are going through such a hardship or why they aren't coming to Church every week, must be happy every week, or be prayed for all the time, or not at all or.....etc etc etc. She was just her. And I always thought it was horrid that she was going through what she was going through but I was intent on getting to know her "around" what she was going through. And she continued to radiate joy even when she didn't look like she felt it. She did.
And that's what I've wanted to be myself for such a long time - to be a person that has that 'thing' that extra something that people are drawn to that I KNOW is God and that I get to radiate Him. I was worried I lost that for most of last year, it felt buried, out of my control but thankfully God has given me some feedback in the form of a couple of people that I wouldn't have expected who didn't know what I was going through but still saw the love of God through me and in part because of that were drawn back to Him. *sigh* Thank you God.
So back to my friend. Her alias was going to be about her hair now being curly instead of straight but I've been thinking that is not a reflection of her at all and does not do her justice.
Tonight my Thai food patient friend shall be called....and it has nothing to do with baked goods....lol....
..because she does. She is covered in glitter ( blessings ) and she is constantly giving away glitter without realising it I'm sure. :)
xMiss365
That's beautiful: She who gives away glitter without realizing it and sparkles... Love this post! Something that I daily struggle with or at least determine to set before me––to radiate Christ so others would see a tangible difference. As Ghandi so famously said- I would become a Christian if I ever actually met one...
ReplyDeleteWell, here's to me and you, becoming more like Christ so others would recognize Him through us.
Jeanine - The way God has blessed this amazing woman recently it's clear He sees how much she sparkles and how much He wants her to spread the glitter far and wide. :)
ReplyDeleteI think the more we ( as in all of us ) spend with people who are like this the more we do reflect Christ. I'm going to make it a point this year to surround myself with 'glitter' people more and more :)