surrounded by true friends...

You will always be surrounded by true friends.


This was my fortune cookie fortune today at lunch.  I smiled and my heart whispered "thank you LORD!" 


This past week a college friend and I reconnected through facebook.  While reading about my homeschool life, my friend commented that I was blessed to have such an incredible homeschool network in which to be involved.


While visiting our homeschool cooperative with me, my cousin commented on the amazing women who are part of the co-op and who call me "friend."


Both Kelly and Susan are right.  I am blessed beyond measure with friendships but not all of my incredible friendships revolve around homeschooling.  I truly feel as if my cup overfloweth with friends who walk alongside me and encourage me in my walk with God, in my marriage, in parenting, in homeschooling and even in blogging.  


However, I haven't forgotten what I felt like years ago when I felt alone and without a true friend in the world.  


I firmly believe that obedience to God's will has a cost.  For me, most of the time, the cost is giving up what I want to do for what God wants me to do.  There have been other times, though, when the cost has been more dear to my heart.   I knew that God was calling me to homeschool my kids.  I didn't know, though, that the cost would be losing friendships.  I not only lost the friendships that I had, I also didn't know very many homeschool families.  I thought I would be alone in the journey of homeschool.  I felt very alone for our first year.  For me, it was a high price to pay.


I've seen the cost of obedience of my sister and her family moving to a new community.... left behind familiar friends, schools, doctors, churches, etc and stepping out in a new community with new friends, schools, doctors, churches, etc.  Another high price for doing what God calls you to do.


Obedience to God isn't cheap.... it doesn't come without cost but the Bible tells us over and over again that He rewards those who chose to walk in His will.   1 Samuel 26:23, The LORD rewards every man for his righteousness and faithfulness. The LORD delivered you into my hands today, but I would not lay a hand on the LORD's anointed, and Hebrews 11:6, And without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to him must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who earnestly seek him, are two passages in scripture that show God's promise to reward those who seek Him.

I honestly feel like the friendships I have today are a reward from God.  He has blessed me beyond measure with INCREDIBLE women in my life.  Some of whom I see or talk to almost every day.  Others I see weekly and catch up then.  And, still others, like today, that I see infrequently but we can start up in our conversations just as if we had never been apart.  


I am truly SURROUNDED by true friends... a true reward!  Thank you God!!