"No, a lifetime's not too long to live as friends"

So I've been away for awhile and I apologize, but we've had a lot going on this summer.  The chief of which being a major health scare involving my best friend.

After many procedures, medications, and a double lung transplant, I am so happy to say that God answered our prayers for healing. Don't think I'm down playing this entire two month journey, because it has been a very long road, but I want to tell you why I am so thankful for this wonderful woman in my life and what rock solid faith in God can give us.

I moved to a new high school and town in 1995 (I'm getting older, I know) for my sophomore year. I didn't know a soul and I stuck out like a sore thumb. I had had a rough freshman year, but with no friends and fresh out of an abusive relationship, I didn't know how I would survive. Everyday someone new picked on me because I dressed in combat boots and pig tails, mismatched patterns and dyed hair (orange/red, depending on what teacher you asked). I struggled again my sophomore year, but managed to scrape by with lots of new, mean nicknames to go by. (Kids in school can be really, really mean.)

I wrote very 'confessional' poetry all year, but found the release I needed in writing. I prayed constantly that I would find someone that I could call mine. Someone that would accept me for the odd and weird person I was, but felt my pleas weren't being hear let alone answered. I had been burned by so many people whose standards I didn't meet and had lost too many to early deaths. At some point I just gave up because I thought it would be easier to have no friends than to lose any more. I also began hoping that darker things would happen just so I didn't have to deal with anything anymore. I had hit the bottom of the barrel.

(Check out Plumb's song "Need You Now" for a great message on this matter--love her!)

And that's when I was blessed with a ball of sunshine in my life. Literally.  I met a red-headed, fiery attitude Paula on the first day of my Junior year. I had survived the summer, but was still shaky. We shared Chemistry and English classes together. She was fun, smart, and fit in so well with all kinds of people. I still remember that first conversation in which she offered to give me a ride in her convertible, yellow VW Beetle. She also gave me her phone number. That was not just a phone line, it became my life line.

Almost every Friday after that was spent at the midnight movies, driving through town, eating new foods (she's an AMAZING cook), or just acting crazy. We had graduated before we even knew people had parties in high school, we just had that much clean fun. Over time, things got better. Life wasn't so dark anymore. And because Paula knew so many people, more classmates were nicer to me and I ended up with quite a number of friends by the time we graduated.

Through the years, we've had our ups and down and drifted apart and back together. But she has always been the one person I could pour all my fears, hopes, and dreams out to.  It's been amazing to watch our lives evolve, both of us with God fearing husbands, and each with three beautiful children.

When she became sick, I was terrified of losing the one person that knows me better than I know myself. I prayed harder for her healing than I have ever prayed for anything else. I knew that God could heal her, even more, I believed He would. (She and I have a long journey to get through before we're causing trouble in the nursing home one day.) I also knew my faith had to remain rock steady.

Mark 11:21-23 shows us an exchange between Peter and Jesus regarding our faith in God's ability.

"and Peter remembered and said to him, "Rabbi, look! The fig tree that you cursed has withered." And Jesus answered them, "have faith in God. Truly, I say to you, whoever says to this mountain, 'Be taken up and thrown into the sea,' and does not doubt in his heart, but believes that what he says will come to pass, it will be done for him."

That's not to say we can actually make a mountain move. But when we cry out to the Lord, He hears us. He feels our hurt, happiness, our everything. He felt that hurt in me all those years ago and provided healing for me, so when I cried out I knew He would heal her and strengthen me so I could be the friend she needed during this time. I can't thank God enough for Paula and I can't thank her enough for always being there for me and accepting me for the weirdo and I am. (I love you girl!)