You've Got a Friend In Me...

I love a man named Charles Elliott Harbison. I feel overwhelmingly blessed to call him friend and to be called friend by him. We just had the most amazing weekend at his new home in New York City! It's such a blessing to be able to spend that time with him, but I somehow at times feel it's a curse...I am left with memories and a longing to see my friend again that hurts deeply.

I think that if we all get to experience just one friendship like Charlie and I have in a lifetime, we should feel completely blessed (most of us are lucky enough to have several of these people in our lives...wow, talk about abundent blessing!). I don't know how or why the Lord chose to bless me with Charlie's friendship, but it will go down as one of the biggest blessings of my lifetime and one of the things I am most truly thankful for.

There's an unabashed honesty and rawness in these friendships that breaks down any walls that you might have an leaves you completely vulnerable. There's a point where you just begin to trust that person with that vulnerability and your heart...trust that they won't abuse it, that they won't take advantage of it, that they won't hurt it. It's the hardest step of trust in a friendship, but so worth it! You move to a place of trust in which you know your heart will be honored, lifted up, acknowledged, and nurtured.

I don't even know what else to say. I have struggled to write this much as i am overcome with emotion at the recognition of what I blessing I have been given by the Lord. There aren't words to describe how I feel about my friendship with Charlie. I am in awe that the Lord would bless sinful, grace-needin' people such as you, you friends, me, and Charlie with the blessing of being able to share in a life together.