Friends Who Inspire

It is a wonderfully mysterious divine truth that relationships between souls can birth spiritual life and beauty in ways which increase both souls in goodness and love and character.

I am inspired.
I am inspired by some amazing people.
I am inspired by some amazing people who happen to be my friends.

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

One such friend is someone I met as a freshman in college. We lived down the dorm hall from one another, were in the same liberal arts school, were in the same sorority, and spent lots of down time together. We came from the two different poles of Louisiana - she was from South LA and very Catholic, while I was from North LA and very Baptist. (Some of you won't understand all of the nuances of those differences, but suffice it to say that we had grounds for clashing at times.) Our now husbands also lived down the dorm hall from one another (same dorm, different hall from us). So during a very crucial time of growth in our lives, we lived life together. That kind of thing bonds you for life. And though we haven't spent time together in umpteen years, I consider her one of my dearest friends. She's the kind of friend you just feel connected to transcendent of physical proximity. She inspires me with her tenacity, the way she has handled adversity, and her deep faith. On top of her roles as wife, mom and career-woman, she now has a radio show and blog for the purpose of inspiring others with her experiences. I'm so proud to call her my friend!

Another such friend is someone I've only known a few months. She recently moved to the area and joined our church with her husband and precious girls. While we haven't gotten to know each other completely, we've shared some great conversations and deep thoughts. For me she's the kind of friend I just feel destined to be a forever friend.  She is very gifted in expressing and conveying divine truths. While she's really a regular gal, she's also an authentic and transparent writer, preacher, and spiritual leader. Her speaking and writing often reaches to my inmost places and speaks truth to my soul.  I'm so proud to call her my friend!

I have two other such friends who are my "besties." We've known each other since our kids were born and shared our lives through the ins and outs of our crazy suburban lives. These two are tried and true friends, the kind who stick with you through everything, know all your warts and wounds, celebrate with you in the big and the little joys, and cry with you through the big and little woes. Their examples in my life inspire me every day - the way they live their lives as moms, as wives, as women, as children of God, as sisters, daughters, and friends to others - I love them dearly and am so very proud to call them my friends!

Many others of you who are reading are also friends who inspire me. You know who you are. Yes, you! Single moms who inspire me with your sacrifice and deep love for your children. Career women who inspire me with your talents and leadership to make this world a better place. Those of you who are givers, philanthropists, activists, counselors, missionaries, moms: you are healers of hearts and souls, and you are change-agents for good. You inspire me, and I am so very proud to call you my friends!

See, the thing is, we might just think of our day-to-day lives as just living our lives, doing our thing, and sometimes just making it through the day, but we inspire each other! Whatever we do, others notice.

A smile, a note, a prayer. "Please pray for me." "Can I bring you a meal?" "Can I cry on your shoulder?"  "How are you holding up?" "How do you look so put together?" "Guess what epiphany I just had!"

In our relationships we inspire, and we may never even know when or how it will happen. I believe that the Spirit inspires others best through us when we are open to being used.  Are you open to being used by the Spirit in that way?

I am so very thankful for the ways my friends inspire me to be closer and closer to who God created me to be. Doing life with you, my friends, is such a blessing and a joy!