You might look at how I spent my days off and think I wasted them, when I could have spend them somewhere other than my apartment. After this week though, I recommend placing the "staycation" at the top of your destination list. The perks are limitless. No travel cost, free lodging, and no jet lag. The list goes on. However, ranking above the pool time and El Guapo salsa, the people I got to spend the week with take the cake.
There's just something about those friends God places in your life. The kind of friends that you can be yourself around, let the ugly show, laugh until you cry, and cry after that. My heart nearly bursts with thankfulness every time I think about the amazing women God has placed as friends in my life both near and far. To all of you who sit and listen to my jumbled thoughts and ramblings and wait patiently as I repeat them again the next week, thank you. There is no pricetag to be placed on the honesty and truth that comes from a true friend. I know the advice and words from these special people God has placed in my life are true and honest, nothing less, even when it hurts. Friendship has no hidden agendas and not a hint of deception. I think that's why time spent in the presence of a true friend, in my opinion, is a refresher like no other.
Today, in the 4 year old class I help in at church, the Bible story was about Balam and his talking Donkey. Each week the past month, the story has ended by reminding the kids that we can know the story is true because everything in the Bible is true. The kids laughed at the thought of a talking donkey, but when asked the question, "Do you believe this story is true?" one boy in particular knew the answer.
He quickly shouted out a boisterous, "YES!". One of the other leaders asked him how he knew. Here is what he said: "It is true because God says it is true. He is my very best friend."
He didn't hesitate. He didn't give exceptions. The fact that God said it with his standing as his best friend was enough. He believed it.
This was one of those moments for me where time seemed to stop. If God's word, as our Savior and best friend, was enough for this four year old boy, then why isn't it always enough for me?
Have you ever played the game two truths and a lie? If you haven't, it goes something like this. The person who is "it" tells three statements to the group, two being true, and the other a lie, and the group has to guess which one is the fallacy. I have played it, and I hate it. I don't always do well under pressure and am not a good liar. When put on the spot to come up with three statements, I usually say something entirely too obvious like...1) I work for a nonprofit 2) I have one sister 3) I have a pet tiger.
While I don't love the giving side of this game, I am not too fond of the taking either. My friends, being better at this game than I, usually issue three statements of which I have NO idea which one is a lie. When the secret is revealed, I am usually surprised, and unjustifiably hurt that I was deceived, even though it was a part of the game.
Too often, I treat my relationship with God like He is playing this game. He is always it. He fills my life with his word through prayer, thoughts, and passages of scripture. I believe most of it to be true, but have some sort of general hesitancy when it comes to certain statements. 1) God is love 2) The free gift of God is eternal life 3) God's timing isn't always my timing. The first two, yes. That third one, though.... 1) Jesus rose from the dead 2) God hears all of our prayers 3) All good things come from the Lord. Numbers one and three I am sure about, but number two? What about that prayer I have been praying for weeks?
This kind of thinking has to stop. The scary thing is, most of the time I don't even realize I am engaging in it. I know logically that everything God says is true, but that knowledge gets stuck somewhere on the path from my head to my heart. Even though God proves himself to me over and over again, my actions still too often show that I believe I know best for my life and that I am in control of my future. It took a four year old boy with childlike faith to remind me that when it comes to my relationship with God, the head and heart have to work together on the same premise. Everything God says is true. No "if's", "and's", or "but's".
If I can find rest and refreshment in time spent with the people dear to my heart, how much more rest, peace, and comfort can I find in my Savior, the best friend I could ever ask for. Everything he has promised me is true and He really does have a plan for my life. I have a book full of his promises at my fingertips daily and the opportunity to be in conversation with him at all times. If I rested in the honesty, purity, and truth of this relationship, there would be no room for worry or stress.
My friends went back home on Friday. It is back to work this week. Deadlines will come up, slots on the calendar will fill up, and things will not always go my way. As history shows, with many of these things, stress levels will rise, and the "staycation high" will fade away. Through the ups and downs, vacation time or not, one thing never changes. The best friend I could ever had is right here, living life right along side me, guiding my every footstep. The talk is always real, true, and available, whether I am here in Tulsa or halfway across the world. His word is honest, and he is waiting for me to come to him to be refreshed. All of his promises are true.
All truths. No lies.
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