Undeserved Blessings

After the first few days of being at school I met a couple of lovely ladies. I immediately loved them and wanted to know them better. The beginning of school I met so many people and I never knew who I would actually become close friends with or who I would actually talk to again. But when I met these girls I knew I couldn't let them go.

It was God who brought us together. So many times I have just sat here and been overwhelmed by His goodness for bringing them into my life. He knew before I came here that He was going to give them to me as friends. He knew we would connect and so quickly break past the surface level friendship to something real and deep.

I needed that. And God knew that even before I did.

I met Layne and Anjelica in Dr. Jack's Coffeehouse sitting in a little round booth. My plan was to study for a bit in the quiet and cozy atmosphere of a coffee shop. God had a different plan. He wanted to connect me with people who could easily become life long friends. After that I started spending more time with them along with Emily (who I met last October when I visited OBU for GROW). The first night of Refuge we all went together. Afterwards we talked about needing the encouragement and support of friends to continuously seek the Lord and spend time with Him. We mentioned starting a Bible study but didn't talk about details. As school progressed we all got busy and kind of had our own schedules. I am not in any classes with Layne or Anjelica and only one with Emily. How funny is that! That didn't keep us from eating lunch together, being together while avoiding homework :), or having our late night Jesus talks.

Two weeks later, after the next Refuge, us four talked until way too late. We shared with each other what God was doing in us and encouraged each other where encouragement was needed. Together we have become intentional about what we talk about and what we spend our time doing. Continuing our friendship in that way could go without saying but we wanted to be purposeful about meeting regularly to share what God is showing us or where we could be encouraged so we agreed to meet weekly. We are also studying the Bible together - starting with Galatians.

I study books of the Bible at a time on my own but it is exciting to read a chapter and see the different perspectives a group of four can have! Only God could have connected us and I am thankful and so blessed by the friends I have in them.