friend keepers

I went to a shower today for one of my dearest and longest friends ever. Her name is Katie, too. We'll call her Katie N. And our other friend Katie was there as well - she'll be Katie S. So, today was a reunion of the Ka(y)tie's so to speak. KAtie N lives in NY, Katie S lives in Dallas...so we are rarely together. We are currently celebrating Katie N's engagement and I couldn't be more thrilled for her.

Today after Katie N opened her gifts, her mother prayed a prayer of thanks to the Lord for His goodness and love that has been shown to us through a roomful of friends gathered together to celebrate with Katie. She thanked God that he has given them the desire to be "friend keepers." I thought a lot about that phrase as I was driving home and I had one of those rare, completely happy moments by myself in the car.

When I am around my Katies, I am reminded of where I come from, and who it is that I want to be. I am able to see growth between my past and my present, without feeling discouraged over the areas in which I still have such a long way to go. I feel safe, and comfortable and I laugh a lot. My problems don't seem so big around them. I don't feel insecure or self conscious. I think ultimately these are blessings from God because He has mercifully made our friendships wide across time, but also given them great depth...and in so doing, He has loved us through each other.

So, here's to being friend keepers.