Friends for the Journey.

What can I say? These two have the very best people around them. 

I've written and re-written this opening line at least 3 times. Why? Because it is really difficult to find the right words to explain what it is like when you feel "known". When God puts those people in your life who just seem to get you: the people who challenge you, who call you out and call you up, and who make you a better person.

The journey we have taken over the last two years has led us smack-dab into the middle of the best of them. They have seen us through what has felt like the most challenging period of our lives and continue to shove us (I mean gently nudge, of course) to be our best. 

Our weekend adventure allowed us the opportunity to spend time with a couple of these, well, couples. 

Friday, we received a last minute-ish invite to hang out with some friends around a backyard fire and just laugh for no reason at all; talking about seemingly nothing and laughing at all of it provides its own kind of therapy, you know? Saturday, we found our way back to those same friends and a great little restaurant to spend more hours talking, laughing, and dreaming.

           

These incredible people with whom we share similar life stories, and even names with, were brought into our lives by another couple who have impacted us in ways they could never know. Jason and Jaime love us unconditionally, speak our "language" (for better or worse and all over again), and constantly remind us we are made for more. We wonder how we have come this far in life without knowing them and then realize life was orchestrated to bring them to us at just the right moment in time. 

After dinner and coffee and a deal struck to gather our families again soon, J and I headed off to get a good night's rest so we could tackle the trails the next morning...with another set of friends.

Sunday morning we woke to a bit of rain...wah, wah...but, true to form, our friends are made of tough stuff and agreed we would make the final call when we actually made it the park. And because of Providence, we arrived to a relatively dry setting. 

Joanna and Ken are beyond words. We landed in their life group on the recommendation of a dear mentor and friend at a moment when we needed it the most. After one visit, we were totally hooked. This group of people (all life changers) were authentic, kind, and did not do surface niceties when it came to discussing the Bible and real life. 

With their influence, we were able to let our guards down when we hit a wall just a couple of months after we joined. And even though we were in a place where it felt like life was ending for us, it was really just beginning. God used these people to pray for us, encourage us, and "lead" us through that season. He showed us the benefits of being "real" and rewarded us with a community who continued to show up. Through that experience, He developed a relationship between us and this couple that gives us opportunities for deep talks and great-big belly laughs and we could not ask for more. It's just an added bonus that they know more about that outdoor life than we do and share in our love for being outside. Now we find ourselves looking forward to every other Friday night and occasionally added in dinners and hikes! 

Sigh...

I wish I had more pictures and room for more stories of all those who have been strategically placed in our lives over the last two years. But, don't worry...they will come. You can expect a big one next week as I celebrate my one year anniversary working with two of the most amazing people we know, a couple who has impacted my life and our family in ways I can't even fully express. Or another couple in our life group who introduced us to a whole new way to approach marriage, or the ones who have prayed with and for us constantly, or our families and their support, or my very best teaching friends, or the ladies in my Bible study group who gathered around and prayed for me and sacrificed for my family, or, or, or...

You get the picture. 

One of my favorite people on the planet is also a pastor at our church. She shares a message that sticks with me constantly and has resounded throughout this journey time and time again...

"Community is God's conduit for care."

There is also a very real and raw truth that accompanies this idea: the community can't care for you if you don't let them in. Jason and I had to consistently make decisions in each and every one of these relationships where we chose to let our guards down and share our stories so that they could come into our lives. We had to choose authenticity over and over again so that God can do what God does best; move in and heal us. Had we chosen to do what we have done so many times and circled our wagons and just cut ourselves off from the rest of the world, we would never have had the ability to really connect with any of these people so generously placed in our lives.

Our lives have been forever changed and imprinted upon by these people; real-life gifts from God.

The very best adventure we could ever ask for is living our best life with these people in our corner. 

"You are the average of the five people you spend the most time with." ~ Jim Rohn

If Mr. Rohn is correct, then we are doing really, really well! 

If you are finding yourself in need of your own people, consider letting your guard down. There is a courage that comes with vulnerability and opens the gates to a life you can never imagine, one that you allows you to experience the love of the Father through those He's created....and it makes for the best kinds of adventures!