Do you see it?

Over the past week, I have developed a new enemy. My alarm clock.

As you all know, last Sunday we all had the pleasure of springing forward and all that involves. I am looking forward to warmer weather and longer days as much as or more than the next girl, however, losing an hour tends to put a kink in my sleeping patterns for a couple of weeks. Though all of my clocks are changed, my internal clock seems to tell me I will be alright if I stay up an extra hour after I get in bed scrolling through Pinterest or reading a book.

Unfortunately, it is not my internal clock, but the one on the wall, that dictates the schedule of the working world. As my alarm goes off, I open my eyes to see a faint glimmer of light coming through my window. More often than not, I pull the covers back over my head, push snooze, and lament the fact that I stayed up an hour later than I should have.

On Saturday morning, ironically the day before the time change, I woke up early to help register a volunteer group for the nonprofit I work for at a local church. Once a month, members of the community gather at this church and have the opportunity to choose between 10-15 different organizations to volunteer at for the morning.

Before the volunteers are dispersed to their selected work sites, the church's volunteer coordinator always does a short devotional and send off. If I am honest, I don't always pay the best attention. I am usually distracted gathering my things, shutting down my computer, and getting ready to go the work site. Last Saturday, however, something she said caught my attention, and it has stuck with me.

Right before sending the volunteers off, she asked the crowd in the auditorium if anyone had seen the sunrise that morning. A couple of individuals raised their hands. She went on to tell us that it was absolutely breathtaking. The next phrase she said will stay with me for a long time. "As we all go our separate ways, we can trust that God will provide a thousand other beautiful sunrises for us today. Maybe not everyone will see them, but you will if you take the time to notice the breathtaking moments God places in front of you."

The sun rises every day the Lord graces us with. Whether I have my covers over my head or I am wide awake, I can trust and know that it is there. It is my choice to recognize and take in the beauty I know exists or close my eyes and let it pass me by.

How many sunrises does the Lord bless us with that we miss each day? We pull the covers of our life over our head and live within their confines. We wallow in the mistakes we have made and determine we know the road to make ourselves happy.

The thing is, just like the sunrise, blessings are always there.

We have to make the conscious effort to take the covers off and look for them. God promises good things for those who follow him. Not everyone will see the same blessings every day, but take the time to look up and notice the ones God places right in front of you. Look for joy where you can trust it will be found found.

When I look at the sunrise in the morning, it makes me stop and remember that I serve a God who creates beautiful things. The sunrise somehow makes everything else seem insignificant in the moment. The beauty of the Lord is worthy of thanks and praise and provides an overflow of joy.

The same beauty and joy can be found in the blessings, moments, and people God places in our path. Take the covers off of your head. Don't push snooze and miss out on the life in front you. He makes beautiful things. Trust in the beauty and joy waiting for you.

Have faith. There is beauty in the morning sunrise and beauty in this very moment we have been blessed with. Do you see it?

A real friend will try to like your boyfriend five times.

 

{At least that's what Mindy Kaling says}

I have been a fan of "The Office" from the beginning. I have most of the seasons on DVD and have seen each episode several times. The show always made me laugh. Watching the show, I would have told you Jim and Pam were the driving force bringing me back each week. The other characters were engaging enough, but substandard in my eyes. Kelly Kapoor, despite sharing my first name, never crossed my mind when I thought about the show.

Last week, however, I began to view Kelly in a different light. I finished reading Mindy Kaling's (the actress who plays Kelly Kapoor in the Office) book, Is everyone hanging out without me and other concerns. Somewhere between her rant about the staple items a man should have in his closet and her monologues about being single in the city, I suddenly had the desire to go re-watch my favorite Office episodes and give Mindy's character the attention she deserved. Her honesty in her book is brilliant, hilarious, and all too true to life.

I am convinced that Mindy Kaling and I would be friends. As I learned reading Mindy's book, if we were to be real friends there are several things I would have to hold to, or as Mindy calls them, "Best Friend Rights and Responsibilities." While I was reading this particular chapter, I was at one of my favorite local coffee shops alone, and much to my dismay, I am afraid, drawing attention as I laughed to myself. You probably know by now I view any attention pointed in my direction in a negative light. I won't list all of them, but here are a few of Mindy's "Friendship responsibilities":

"I CAN BORROW ALL YOUR CLOTHES
Anything in your closet, no matter how fancy, is co-owned by me, your best friend. I can borrow it for as long as I want. If I get something on it or lose it, I should make all good faith attempts to get it cleaned or buy you a new one, but I don’t need to do that, and you still have to love me.

I WILL HATE AND RE-LIKE PEOPLE FOR YOU
But don’t get mad if I can’t keep track. Robby? Don’t we hate him? No, we love him. Okay, okay. Sorry. 

IF YOU’RE DEPRESSED, I WILL BE THERE FOR YOU
As everyone knows, depressed people are some of the most boring people in the world. I know this because when I was depressed, people fled. Except my best friends. I will be there for you during your horrible breakup, and you can tell me a hundred times the same sad stories about how you thought he was going to be the one. I will be there for you to tell your long revenge fantasies to, and also to Facebook stalk whoever you want. I know I will hate it and find you really tedious, but I promise I won’t abandon you.   

I WILL TRY TO LIKE YOUR BOYFRIEND FIVE TIMES
This is a fair number of times to hang out with your boyfriend and withhold judgment." 

As much as I laughed reading these, I couldn't help but think I would have to add a few on myself.

I WILL GET LOST AND YOU CAN'T GET MAD ABOUT IT
There is a 98% chance I will get lost or make a wrong turn on the way to our destination. I fully expect you to correct me, and promise to (hardly ever) get offended. I am directionally challenged, and no I can not and will not eventually "learn" my way around town. The word "friend" in my car is synonymous with "personal gps".

I WILL OVER-ANALYZE YOUR (AND MY) LIFE WITH YOU
Let's face it, we both know that conversation you or I had with so and so meant absolutely nothing and that "friend b" across the room wasn't making a personal statement against us by what he/she did or said. However, we are not ready to come to grips with reality. I will be there to discuss that one sentence that one person said for hours up on end. Everything that happens means something, right?

 Friendship is such a huge part of life. People come in and out of our lives, and when it comes down to it, we are all looking for connections. We are relational beings. We are wired with the desire to love and be loved in return.What are we really looking for, and expecting from the friendships we long for?

If we are honest with ourselves, at first glance, we want friends who will always take our side, hold the same values we do, and who will threaten to slit the tires of anyone who treats us poorly (disclaimer: I never have and never will actually do that). We want to feel comfortable, and we want to feel justified in our feelings. We seek like minded friends.

Proverbs 27:17 "As iron sharpens iron, so one person sharpens another."

What does that really mean? Sharpen one another? As much as I want to be justified in my thoughts and emotions, I know that isn't always what I need. I so often give out justification just as freely as I take it, knowing it is what the other party is looking for. We aren't doing eachother any favors though. 

Thankfully, God has blessed me with friends who have lived out and shown me what this verse is really talking about. He has placed people in my life who call me to pray with me over the phone. I have people in my life who are bold enough stop me mid-rant and ask if I have prayed about the situation and refuse to continue the conversation if I haven't. And though I don't always want to hear it in the moment, a word of rebuke from a friend in love speaks through the heart of the Lord.

Though I don't mind a pat on the back every once in a while, it's those moments in which I am challenged and pushed out of my comfort zone in the direction of the Lord that I see friendship deepen and grow. The Lord created friendships, and I think He wants to be at the center of what he created. Where the Lord is, there is strength, blessing, and boundless joy to be found.

Let's face it. You probably will raid your friend's closet a time or two. or ten. Friendship won't always be just desserts (anyone catch the Maggie Smith Downton reference?). Friends are there to lean on in the good times and through the bad and to laugh our way through the times in between. Through all the long conversations, wrong turns, and vent sessions, don't forget who gave you the relationship. Don't forget to invite Him to be a part of it.

I don't think "like minded" has to mean a friend who agrees with everything you say. Seek friends that are like-minded in the sense that they, too, are seeking the Lord and helping you press on in His direction. Seek friends that challenge you, inspire you, and aren't afraid to give you that gentle nudge when you get off track. Seek that kind of friend. Be that kind of friend.

As much as Mindy Kaling's frienship etiquette often rings true, I hope that those I surround myself with will hold me to a higher standard than a self-composed list. But let's be real. For future reference, if you have to try to like my boyfriend five times, you probably should tell me to dump him anyways.