Last Friday, I got to see my buddy. (that's her in the picture, wearing black. I'm in pink). We will call her L. My kids call her TTL. Sometimes I even call her U/B, but that's a story that is not for this blog. L and I met over 12 years ago, during a past phase of my life, when I was an electrical engineer for the utility company of a very large and significant MAJOR TOURIST ATTRACTION and WORLD FAMOUS THEME PARK in this part of our state. Anyway, we became friends rather quickly, not so much due to MY great personality, but mostly do to L's amazing ability to connect with people on a level that is beyond superficial in a short time.

It wasn't long before I knew from her, and from another work associate there (remember Susan H?), that L and her dh were very committed Christians who were searching out the Lord's purpose for their lives, and trying to live it. This resonated with me, because I was at a point where I was seeking to "put off the old [wo]man and put on the new" in my life as well. We clicked and got to be really good friends. Within weeks, we were meeting during lunch time to study the book of James together. This mini one-on-one bible study eventually grew to include others at our workplace, including my own supervisor. It was pretty neat to have this spiritual refueling in the middle of the work day. I know I really needed it there.

While I was working there, before I became a MOM, L and I had offices right next door to each other, and we were able to share so many of the details of our everyday lives, and the lives of our families together. Fast forward 12 years later, and we still do that, as much as we can on an extended phone call every week or two, but it is impossible to be aware of all the details that working together provided. I do miss that aspect of working, although I don't miss working there that much otherwise (L is still in that office part time now) since it could be very stressful.

L has two sons. One is little yet, like my dd, and the other son is medium going on big (very soon). Let's say, when L and her husband came to our home for dinner for the first time, back in 1996, her oldest son was 6 months old, and I remember L having to clean out his messy nose with Q-Tips! I still have a vivid picture of that.

Back in those days, she shared with me all she was learning about being a parent of an infant, then 1 year old, then 2 year old, etc. And I was going through the whole entire infertility / adoption saga that can span many long years, and she walked, with compassion, with us through that valley.

Well, my friendship with L is one of the big joys of my life. We have a good level of understanding and appreciation of each other that falls not far short of family. In fact, we have met, and gotten to know, each other's family and extended family, and they are a part of my heart, too, especially L's beautiful and wonderful parents (who I always would like to see more frequently!).

I can count on L to point the way to Christ in any situation that I share with her. In fact, when our children were baptized in our previous church, L and her dh were our sponsors, which means that we parents are accountable to them for bringing up our children as Christians. L has taken this role seriously, bless her, and to this day she has sincere and loving interest in the spiritual wellbeing of our kids. When our son "turned his back on sin" and trusted in Christ, L was the one to really celebrate that event with us.

I could go on and on about L, and this post would be way too long, but hey, it's my blog, and I can post endlessly if I want to! She is the person I have called when bad things have happened. When I was in New Jersey with my dad in the hospital, and he was in the process of dying from chemotherapy, L was the person I called and cried to on the phone for an hour. When I thought my son was missing, and a search helicopter was hovering over our neighborhood, L was the person I called asking for prayer. And L knows that when bad things strike in her life, I will be there to uphold and support her, as she upholds and supports me.

When I become a shameless bragger about my children's successes, she really and truly rejoices and shares heart to heart in my thrills and my pride. Not very many folks can do THAT!

As far as pointing the way to Christ, L has the ability and desire to speak the truth to me in all things, and has challenged me on several occasions to do the right and responsible thing. Whew! Scary!

So, last Friday was an opportunity for one of our summertime visits where we go to her house and she treats me like a queen giving me a delicious lunch and chatting about our families, our churches, current events and politics from our "enlightened" point of view, and well you get it. She even celebrated three of our birthdays with us, all at once. It does my heart so much good to see how excited my children get when they are going to her home and playing with her sons. Perhaps their family holds the central place in their hearts that it does in my heart. Time flies at TTL's house. Now, I hope that they can make it to our place on August 7th like we discussed, because it would truly be a double treat for us.