There’s this thing about women.
They may be wearing purple boots or skinny jeans or sweat pants.
But when they do that thing — that thing where they look right into your eyes, where they just reach over and hug you, where they whisper secret truths in tears that trail slowly down their cheeks.
Where they surprise you with a packet of Twizzlers, where they smile into the scrunched up face of your daughter, where they save you a spot at dinner.
Where they lend you their lipstick, where they aren’t afraid to babysit your screaming baby, where they hold your hand tight, tight while you try to exhale, where they compliment your hair.
Yeah, that thing they do?
It’s life-giving. It’s oxygen and courage and conviction all rolled into one.
It’s the kind of superpower that can turn a day inside out.
What women can do for one another.
How they can heal each other with the power of laughter. Of encouragement. Of acceptance.
And hospitality that’s contagious.
Sometimes we’re so busy wondering if we’re getting it right, so busy worrying we’re not measuring up, so caught up in thinking we need to be just like her that we forget she loves us just the way we are.
She loves the joy and Jesus and friendship and tired-up-all-night-with-the-baby eyes that make you, you. Forget awkward, forget feeling small or insecure or worried about what she’s thinking.
This version of friendship is a true story, an old story, the same story that we’ve all been living. This is the hard choice of staying committed to our friends, our communities, our dreams and our God who is the crossroads where all these broken places are connected, mended, restored and intimately comprehended.
This kind of friendship is the gift. It is the going first. It is the testimony of the brave who chose friendship in spite of fear. This is the loud voice of comparison squashed down, drowned out, overcome by a choice to love, to love, to love because Christ first loved us.
This brave choice is the laying down of jealousy, the raising up of encouragement. This is the cheering for someone else and feeling the powerful joy in return.
This is where it’s OK to cry. This is where we cup your cheeks and your heart and your stories. This is where we nod our heads and open our arms and say, “me too. Yes, me too.”
This is the hard work of getting along.
This is friendship on purpose.
We see it in each of you. In how you encourage and pray and reach out a kind hand in the comments. Day in and day out.
We see you.
We see how you believe the best, and hold up her tired arms, and encourage her spirits and whisper in her ear how brave you think she is.
We see you doing that thing women do.
And we’re so grateful to call you friends.
Did you get your free Sampler of Never Unfriended yet? This is our new book that releases April 4. But we wanted to get chapters into your hands early! It unpacks the secret to finding and keeping lasting friendships.
Leave a Comment
Lisa-Jo,
So excited about your book launch. (In)courage has walked me through many different life seasons and experiences and the women here have been true encouragers. We need this in our lives. It is what gave me the courage to start my own blog which then led into starting Redeemer Christian Foundation, Inc. to provide Christian education in places too dangerous for many to go – like the Middle East. All this because I found friendship here….never underestimate its power. I’ve had the flu then walking pneumonia, but will get to reading those chapters once I can focus. Wouldn’t the world be a much better place if we only unlocked the super-power that lies within all of us. Friendship…it can move mountains.
Blessings and all the best to you on your book Lisa-Jo,
Bev xx
BEV!! I have all the full body goosebumps reading this. What an honor and a gift that we’ve been able to do friendship across so many miles through this crazy world of the Internet. I speak for our whole team here at (in)courage when I say that any time anywhere we see your name pop up we know that God’s encouragement is about to pour out. You amaze us, Bev. We learn so much from you from every single comment you leave for us. We love you.
Thanks Lisa-Jo and ladies…I am truly humbled….
Blessed to be a part of this community,
Bev xx
Bev,
Praying for God’s healing hand to come upon you quickly! Rest up dear friend. You and your family are in my prayers. I treasure the friendship we have found here at In Courage!
Blessings:)
Beth,
Today I started to feel quasi-human. I think there is light at the end of the tunnel. Thank you for your prayers!! I am so thankful, as well, for your friendship…you are a blessing!
Always,
Bev xo
Jesus showed us how to be a friend. May we emulate His power of love and increase the circle of ” family” to allow His Kingdom to come. Amen!
So much amen, Corena!
This is really exciting news, so happy for you. I feel blessed to have found this community. You have all helped me in more ways than one, and I thank you all for that.
Have a blessed day all,
Warm regards,
Penny
We’re delighted to have you here, Penny!
Yes, that “going first” is a brave act, and certainly qualifies as a super power. So thankful for the women in my life who have reached out and then STAYED around to bear witness to all that God is doing in me, as I do the same for them – by grace!
Me too – the gift of staying through the hard things is such a friendship superpower too!
We definitely need each other. And God will gives us even more gifts to share.
Love that and amen, Rebecca!!
Lisa-Jo,
So thankful for you and the In Courage team. You all have encouraged me so much over the years. God is working in and through you to make me realize I am right where He wants me. I am so blessed to have such wonderful girl friends. I have some that I can call or text any time and know they are praying for me. One good friend and I went through aging parents together. We could commiserate with each other. Female friends are a blessing from God!
Blessings 🙂
Longing and been praying for sometime for a deep friendship that would get all my families heartaches, baggage and hoorahs. .it’s hard to see others have these connections. I even looked up friendship site the other day oUT of curiosity. Sometimes you just want to broadcast..”any body need a full on life friend”… being open to where the Lord leads. Life can be lonely.