7/13/08

Sharing Life

There is something about a sturdy relationship. A relationship that stands the test of time. One where you drop everything around you when you get a chance to be together!

That is exactly what happened one night last week at 9 pm!

We had tried earlier in the week to make it happen. With conflicting schedules we were so disappointed. But you play as you go. You have to be open to “spur of the moment.” For us, we had to let our early bedtime rigidity subside.

We value our friends, and need our friends. We also know it’s important to share life with a like-minded couple. An entrepreneurial couple in the trenches of life like we are – stepping out, trying to make a difference, living in the midst of teens – loving God.

The crickets were cricketing, the tiki torches were glowing, and the background jazz was humming. We were deep in conversation when my husband said, what time do you think it is? We all guessed 10.

It was after midnight.

We talked some more, gave our hugs, said our good-byes.

Yes, sharing life is essential to my husband and me.

Thank you J & J for your sturdy friendship over the years. For carving out time for us.

Do you have friends that you would see any time of the day – that you’d drop everything for because you know you need them?

21 comments:

Barb said...

Or they need you?! Wow, what a question. The Coughlins would be worth dropping everything for, I'm thinkin'!

Nadine said...

Good friends are essential. It's nice to spend time with people and not even realize what time it is.

Emily said...

How much this post resonates, and how timely! Just last week, a dear friend with whom I am blessed by an ever-deepening friendship, and I met for coffee at 9pm! Way out of my comfort zone as a busy working mama ... and on the way there I had to pray that God would give me the right perspective (instead of focusing on how tired I was, etc). We talked til almost midnight and it ended up being the sweetest time of vulnerable connection and sharing. Thanks for this great word!

Make mine pink said...

You know - sometimes it's easy to forget how much of a GIFT it is to have good friends! True friends are a precious gift from our precious Father in Heaven and we need to nurture those relationships. I'm not always very good at doing that...thanks for the reminder!

Stephanie said...

That is so great that you are the type of friends that you are. This is the way I am but I don't have many friends like this. Mostly my sister-in-law is the one that we throw caution to the wind to entertain.

Becky Dellar said...

YES! And fellowship is so important, so pivotal, so needed! and what a blessing from God those friends are who bring encouragement to a weary soul, or speak a comforting word in times of trouble. Plus, every time that I have "dropped everything" for time with one of those friends, I always end up more uplifted, encouraged, and have a better perspective on life than I had before-hand.

Unity - that unity you have with a friend who really knows you is really amazing. Thank you Lord for those types of friendships! The authentic kind!

Jen said...

Yes...God has blessed us with many of them....

duchess said...

Don't you just love evenings like that? In the summertime we just let our bedtimes go out the window.

Glad you had such a good time.

Heidijayhawk said...

we are extraordinarily blessed to have a few of these couples in our life. they always drop in when we don't even know how badly we ned them. i love friends like that.

Susie said...

I didn't know how important my friendships really were until we moved away from all of them for a year. I don't think I'll ever take them for granted again.

It is so hard to find loyalty because it takes time, and moments spent together. You and your husband sound like true treasures to your friends!

~nanashouse~ said...

For us, it would be our adult children. We have spent many an evening in the backyard with the twinkling white lights on the trees and a log in the fire pit. It is so wonderful to talk with our kids on an adult level and just appreciate them for the awesome people they are.

GiBee said...

Oh, yes... in fact, all of my close dear friends are worth dropping everything for! And I know that they would do so in return, too.

And I totally agree -- Sometimes, you just need to refill the life tank with like-minded people.

GiBee said...

P.S. -- not to derail your comments section, but ... I enjoyed visiting Paul's website -- very cool!

Julie said...

We have them in other cities, not currently here yet. But we've only been here a little over a year. I trust that they will happen one day in person. For now, I am thankful for beautiful heart conversations with my husband. I am thankful for the long, beautiful conversations that I have with friends via the phone where our hearts connect deeply and the hours pass quickly.

There is nothing like the beauty of hearts shared. It blows me away.

Julie

Michele P. said...

Jose and I have been blessed with 2 lovely friends from Brazil, Joao & Regina. We spend the holidays with them and have a wonderful time, talking, eating, cooking, eating again-we take day trips together to enjoy the Maine coast and discount outlets on the NH border. We get along so well that even though Jose speaks Spanish mostly, I speak Spanish & English, Joao a little Spanish, little English more Portugese, and REgina ALL portugese we still understand each other, and make an effort to really listen to what the other is saying, making the conversation all the more meaningful. With true friends, even a language barrier doesn't matter.

Tammy said...

True friendships are so valuable in this disposable world!
How fun that you could have a late-night gathering with dear friends on the spur of the moment...that's one of the things that makes life special! :)

Anonymous said...

It's interesting that in the last month I have moved what I thought were priorities, aside and instead replaced them with sharing time with friends and family. Even my visit with you was more important than thrifting in Grants Pass. And you know how I feel about thrifting. Or inviting our close friends over for a BBQ in the midst of packing stress. I am really trying to focus on the real priorities in life which is friendship. This is something I never put much time into in years past. A very lovely written post my friend.

Donnetta said...

Ah yes, my how time flies when one is with good friends!

Southerner said...

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Stephanie said...

Yes, but they are now states and states away so dropping everything to go see them means a bit more now.

But we exchanged one set of friend like this for another when we moved back closer to some old friends who we couldn't see because they were states and states away. Now they are only 2 hours. Distance really is relative when friends are involved. 2 hours is nothing.

Jen said...

I'm going to a Leadership dinner at a friends home Friday night...she will host a dinner that is catered and then have us in her home for 7 hours on Saturday to meet for the yearly activities for our MOPS group...I would like to take her something little and nice for having us at her home for 2 days....I'm Hospitality Leader...do you have any great ideas?