It Adds Up.

If you could jump back with me 32 years, I'd be meeting a little girl in Mrs. Barlow's first grade class who would quickly become and remain one of my nearest and dearest friends.  She has been like a sister to me over the years and has helped me weather many a storm.  Unfortunately after high school graduation, unlike our early dream of being college room mates, our paths took us far away from each other.  When she was in Utah I was in Idaho.  We were both in Utah Valley for a short stint, then I was in France then Canada.  When I came home to Utah, she moved to Canada.  Several years later, the week she moved back to Utah, we moved to St. Louis.  Since then it has been ten years since we've lived in any sort of close proximity to each other.

Through it all we've remained DEAR friends,

the kind that pick things right back up where they left off.  

Inevitably our itineraries would overlap briefly over the Summers or holidays and we'd make efforts to get together to catch up.  A lovely heart-to-heart would quickly ensue. 

But about 5 years ago, I was living in Illinois and missing the closeness we had once shared as longtime childhood friends.  I made my mind up then and there that I wanted that to change.  I didn't want to just pick things up where they'd left off, I wanted to share the journey together.

I started texting her more often, sending quotes and jokes and songs that reminded me of her.  Every now and again we would Skype or drop the other a post card while vacationing.

When I came across Marco Polo I knew it would be key in truly sharing in each other's lives from afar-- mini milestones, pregnancies, postpartum joy and delirium, mental health struggles & triumphs, moves, growing children, messy houses, heartache and success.

I look back on this latest chapter of our friendship and am so grateful for that decision I made on a cold, windy day in the Midwest.  Small consistent efforts have kindled our friendship and warmed my heart.

You may be wondering why I am relating this.  Yes, friendship is an essential element in our journeys.  Yes, consistent efforts add up.  

However, what I truly want to share are these questions:

How is my relationship with God?

When was the last time I didn't just talk, but connected with Him?  

Do I just pick things back up when our lives overlap and time allows?  

Or do I invite Him to walk alongside me and share in each day?--  the wonderful, woes and the overwhelm? times of triumph, down days and times of despair? 

Do I turn to Him in times of doubt and trepidation?

Do I counsel about the seemingly insurmountable?  

Do I trust in His word, His truth? 

Do I daily delight in His tender mercies? 

The beauty is, God invites us to come exactly as we are, TODAY.  No matter if we've gotten lax and neglected Him, His hand is outstretched.  

What would be your next step in coming closer to Him?

Putting aside rote prayers and speaking from your heart?

Listening to His word?

Following a quiet prompting that comes?

Looking for His goodness in others or even in yourself?

Whatever it is, pick one thing, give your heart to it, and you'll forever be glad that you did.