building others up.

tonight I sat around the room with some of my closest friends as we were at the starting line for a new study we are doing on freedom called Freeway.  Each of us invited 1 or 2 friends, so the group as a whole didn’t know each other, but regardless it’s pretty awkward to “introduce” yourself to a room full of your closest friends that you do life with daily.  when it was Holcomb’s turn, she was feeling the awkwardness too, so I stepped in and did the introduction for her.  One of the other girls said, “wow, your friends really do know you better than yourself!”  I mean how awkward is it to say, “well, I’m really creative…” but when your friend says it it totally is the most amazing sweetest thing ever.  My turn was last, and like Alison, I didn’t know what to say.  Jenna + Alison stepped in and did the introductions.  I had to stop and tell them that words of affirmation was my love language – because my tank was getting full!

something Rebekah Lyons talked about at IF was calling each others gifts out + speaking those callings over people, and I love that challenge.  she says her mother told her recently, “ya know, I always knew you would write”  and she thought that would have been nice to know in college when she was trying to pick a major!  It’s the truth.  I was so overjoyed to hear what my dear friends had to say about me, and it brought so much life and light.  To know that they see me as a connector, they affirmed my hard word as a mother of basically twins, encouraged me in my writing and story telling and in my constant friend making.  No, I don’t need to hear those things to know that they love me and appreciate our friendship, but it sure meant a lot to me.

you never know what people are thinking until they say it.  they were embarassing me so much I said, “it’s like we are at my funeral and I”m dead and this is what yall are saying about me”.  they did not like that analogy but it’s the truth!  me + my bestie alison  have been talking about that very thing.  Why do we wait until someone is gone to say what we love about the?  to affirm them and speak life to their giftings and passions?  I don’t want to wait.  I want to speak life over people, and tell them why I love them and how I think God has gifted them.  I have friends that do that for me, and I want to be that kind of friend too.

what about you?  will you take the challenge?