Bringing Divine into Daily Life

When my sister graduated from high school, it was an awesome day. We had an delicious brunch with 80 of her closest friends and their families, and we spent the day celebrating. But, let's rewind a few hours,  to the Nickles preparing for an early morning graduation...

As some of the high maintenance Nickles women were trying to get ready, the power went out on our entire street. It was about 7:45 am (which is never a good hour, as we are not morning people) so, we were scrambling. Graduation began at 9:00 am at the arena downtown. So, that meant we needed to be there by 8:30 to find a parking place.  Immediately, we started making phone calls and all ended up saying, "You're on your own. MEET YOU THERE!" So much for family togetherness that morning, and savoring the special day. I think we drove four cars to graduation. We need electricity to primp- we have a lot of hair, and that takes priority, people.

I began thinking of the stories we could tell, as to why all of the Nickles had arrived with sopping wet hair and extra wrinkly clothes.  We wouldn't have embarrassed my sister at all.   Instead, I called my dear, dear friend Caroline. She was very empathetic to our close apocalyptic (and increasingly comical) situation at our house. She told me she wasn't home, but to make my way in their house, I knew where the key was, and I started to get ready. By the time I had gotten my hair under control, Caroline was home and walked into her own bathroom with toast, eggs and coffee... for me. See, the thing is, after fixing breakfast for her own family and shuttling them to school, she came home prepared a second breakfast (more importantly, she cooked eggs. She hates all things eggy.) and I was able to have breakfast with my friend, in her large bathroom, as we made arrangements to see a movie together the next night. I spent probably half of my summer at their house, hanging with her kids and then sitting on the back porch once they had all gone to bed. Caroline is a dear friend who happens to be a mom of 4!

When I think about the days I've been in the trenches, and the days I've most needed people beside me, I think about Caroline. She has walked alongside of me through death, loss and extreme doubt... and obviously times of complete chaos. When my Uncle died, she was one of the first ones to show up to visitation. She was the first one to call me when my dad lost his job.  She's seen my worst, THE ugly cry, and the days that I have lost all trust. She cried along side of me when I was so scared to move to Dalton, and I'm convinced her family helped me realize my love and calling to Family Ministry. I just love them all. Caroline has shown me grace, love and empathy when I've most needed the Lord's love and guidance. And I've seen Caroline's trenches. I've walked with her and her family through tremendous loss,  death and extreme doubt, and it's been hard. I've done their laundry to prepare them for a funeral, and have been present as they talk to their children about tough stuff.

I thought about Caroline today as I was reading a book called Cold Tangerines by Shauna Niequist. She is the daughter of Bill Hybels. The book is a collection of essays about faith, and celebrating the everyday life. It's my kind of book. I love weaving the stories of others' wisdom into my own way of thinking and operating. People's stories inspire me, if you haven't already noticed that. People will forever be a trending topic in my writing and in my thinking. Conversations with others help shape and confirm what I believe about God. My brain never fully turns off, so I'm thankful for the people who can help me hash out my own twisted thoughts, and who will do so by a few exchange of texts during the week, without asking "Why in the world is she asking this?"  So,  until any of my friends write books about their lives and what they believe, I have to settle for reading books about the lives of inspiring strangers. Y'all get on it.

This is what she says:

"Friendship is acting out God's love in tangible ways. We were made to represent the love of God in each other's lives, so that each person we walk through life with, has a more profound sense of God's love for them. Friendship is an opportunity to act on God's behalf in the lives of the people we are close to, reminding each other who God is. When we do the hard, intimate work of friendship, we bring a little more of the divine into daily life. We get to remind one another about the bigger picture that we can't always see from where we are."

I'm thankful for people like Caroline who allow the Lord to work through them in tangible ways in my life, and the lives of others. What a high calling! That we can "bring more of the divine into the daily life." I'm thankful that the Lord made us for community- and we were not made to live in isolation or in a place of separation from each other... and most certainly not from Him. We "deserve" to be in a place of isolation rotting with our sin and shame. But, He shows us mercy by giving us, first, Himself to have a relationship and forgiveness in. And second, by giving us people to have conversation with, to learn with, and to remind each other of the bigger picture of His sacrifice and great love. Because of Him, we have everything in common and it defies friend groups, theologies...and even age! Look for the opportunities in your week to do the trench work, show up at a friend's house, even when they say "they're fine."  Make yourself vulnerable in your conversations and allow the Lord to use you as a vessel, as He renews and restores people through you.