Friendship.

From CS Lewis' The Four Loves,

"...in Friendship...we think we have chosen our peers. In reality, a few years difference in the dates of our births, a few more miles between certain houses, the choice of one university over another...the accident of a topic being raised or not raised at a first meeting--any of these chances might have kept us apart. But, for a Christian, there are, strictly speaking, no chances. A secret Master of the Ceremonies has been at work. Christ, who said to the disciples, 'Ye have not chosen me, but I have chosen you,' can truly say to every group of Christian friends 'You have not chosen one another but I have chosen you for one another.' The Friendship is not a reward for our discrimination and good taste in finding one another out. It is the instrument by which God reveals to each the beauties of all the others."


I love this! It is truly amazing to think about those special people in our lives and how we have met them and become connected. My bestest friend lived across the street from me in Orlando growing up (since we were infants) and we lived together 4 years in college! My parents sent me to a private school, against my protests, for middle school and I met more of my bestest friends who I have known now for 15 years. I took dance with a friend, who I still treasure and adore, even though its been years and years. While I was sad to go to college in Florida, which was a feeling shared with my future husband but didn't know it, Jonathan (who was bummed he couldn't go to an Ivey League in the NE), so we met at UF as "little" 19 year olds (in comparison to being old 27 year olds). In Atlanta, I met girlfriends by somehow getting in a small group, even though we went to different churches and met in "rebellion" to normal formations of small groups! Starting a job around the same time as someone, sitting on the plane next to someone on a flight....It's awesome to think how people come into our lives and while some only for a season, that God orchestrates all of this for our enjoyment, growth, encouragement, and ultimately for His glory. Nuts.