“When you sit in the middle of change, a friend is one who assures you, comforts you, and holds you. When you don’t know how to pray, friends become the words and actions of Jesus and prayers of the Holy Spirit. When you don’t know what to think, they become an accurate perspective on your situation. They hold hands and hearts and are a light when you don’t know which way to go. They are worth opening your heart up for.”–Girl Meets Change; Kristen Strong

I have been thinking a lot about how God has blessed me with some pretty incredible people and friends in my life. These friends who have wiped my tears and stood by me in the midst of liminal space; of jagged grace. In fact, now on the other side of the mountain, I know that these friendships are holy; holy friendships initiated by God so that we know that we are never alone. God will never leave us or forsake us.

“That is the blessing of a good friend; they outlast the protests. They stick close and refuse to let their friend go through their changes alone. They see through all the “I’m fine” and “I’m good” statements to the heart of the matter and help where they can.”–Girl Meets Change

In April, when things came to a peak, it was my friends who got me through that day. The ones who sat on my porch with me, poured wine and simply listened. Throughout the month, it was more and more friends who wiped my tears, gave me a shoulder to cry on and simply sat with me. It is in these times of holy friendship gathered around bread and wine that I saw the beauty of my own brokenness; of how God sent God’s one and only Son to die on the cross for us. As my friend Lesley said the other day, Jesus is the ultimate example of kintsugi.

And because of this ultimate example of kintsugi, it was on the prairies of North Dakota with another friend where I was reminded that resurrection does come. It was on those prairies that I felt the blowing of the Holy Spirit. It was there that I knew that our God redeems and brings about resurrection and wholeness. It was there that I slowly began to feel a remaking and rebuilding of myself.

“Quite often my ability to accept and thrive through change is directly proportional to the state of my near and dear friendships.”–Girl Meets Change

And through each of my holy friendships, I continue to know and feel the love of Christ spilled out for each of us. It is in these friendships that I know who and whose I am. It is in these friendships that I cling to the promises of hope. It is in these friendships that I know that God will use them to take my brokenness and piece by piece build me back up again. And they are able to do that, because of the ultimate friendship, the friendship of Christ who went above and beyond for each of us as Christ died on the cross for us.

“For God so loved the world that God gave God’s one and only Son so that everyone who believes in him may not perish but may have eternal life. Indeed, God did not send God’s Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through him.”–John 3:16-17 (NRSV)

Click Here to Head to the Jagged Grace Landing Page

Also linking up with Holley and Coffee for your Heart and Kristin and Porch Stories.