those are you reading would probably say: duh. THAT'S OBVIOUS.
but if it's so obvious, why does it happen to so many people? all of the time?
it's not creative. it's not genius. it's not even smart. but it happens.
and it's happened to me.
lately, but especially in this week of Jesus laying down His life for us, it has hit me like a ton of bricks.
that the greatest gift, (besides salvation and a relationship with Him), and greatest d e s i r e of His heart is for His children, you and i, to have R E A L, honest, c h r i s t l i k e friendships.
w a r n i n g: this post is vulnerable. it's trademarked. caitlin ritchie style. it's R E A L. it isn't going to lie, sugar coat, or dance around the subject. it's my heart.
i have spent the last 7 months in a daze of mixed emotions towards 5 girls that i live with.
YES. I SAID F I V E.
we are, looking at us individually, the 6 absolute most different young women you could ever meet.
some are loud, some are quiet. some have a shoe collection that far outweighs the total combined of all five other girls shoe collection....(no names mentioned...although we all know that would be me...) and some would rather be barefoot. (WHY?!)
we are different. we are different. we are all different.
and the very thing that brought us all together, that should U N I T E us has been far overlooked by me for the past several months.
two things: very important.
NUMBER ONE: WE ARE CREATED IN GODS IMAGE. JUST HOW HE DESIRED FOR US TO BE CREATED. WE WERE ALL INTRICATELY WOVEN to fit His mold, just as He wanted us. DIFFERENT. UNIQUE. GOD is not a boring God, but a rather beautiful, majestic, masterpiece maker who had each of us individually in mind in the beginning of creation.
I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made;
your works are wonderful P S A L M 139:14
NUMBER TWO: the world lies to us and tells us that being different isn't normal and that we need to conform to being just like somebody else.
LIE! that is a lie from the enemy.
the thing is, we're all like a deck of cards. you can't play a game without just one card missing. if even one is missing, the game cannot be played properly. there is a void.
what most Christians fail to realize is that without one another, there is a void. WE, as sinners, of course don't realize it because...well it's just that. we're full of S I N.
but our daddy in Heaven realizes it. and it desperately grieves HIM when we discredit, discount, and most importantly, let the enemy BLIND us...
and keep YOU AND I from encountering true love, loyalty, and joy in friendships with the INCREDIBLE men (if you are a man) and and women (if you are a woman- POWER!) of GOD that HE HAS DIVINELY PLACED IN OUR LIVES.
p r o v e r b s 27:17 says, "Iron sharpens iron, and one man sharpens another."
GOD put these people in our lives to help us, to love us, because he knows that WE NEED PEOPLE. our deck of cards is not full without PEOPLE.
e c c l e s i a s t e s says it like this, it's such a beautiful verse filled with such power. AND WHERE POWER IS, THE DEMONS HATE IT. AND WHERE POWER IS SPOKEN, WHERE IT IS PRESENT, WHERE IT IS PRAYED FOR, THE ENEMY FLEES.
"Two are better than one, because they have a good reward for their toil. For if they fall, one will lift up his fellow. But woe to him who is alone when he falls and has not another to lift him up! Again, if two lie together, they keep warm, but how can one keep warm alone? And though a man might prevail against one who is alone, two will withstand him—a threefold cord is not quickly broken." e c c l e s i a s t e s 4:9-12
look, this could start to get a little preachy, but it needs to be said. and it can be said with a little Boston emphasis on it, because it's something i have been walking through, struggling with, aching over, been rebuked for, convicted of, and even condemned from the enemy for feeling..
IT'S REAL. IT'S HAPPENING. IT'S A LIE. AND THERE IS FREEDOM FROM IT.
and it's our job to end it. NOW.
WE ARE NOT CALLED TO WALK THIS LIFE ALONE. it is not our job to DISCOUNT the people God has placed in our lives.
they are there for a r e a s o n.
and if we love God, we let His sovereignty reign in our life and believe it is E V E R P R E S E N T.
we do not get to pick and choose when and where and what areas of our life we choose to let Him reign and then decide the rest for ourselves.
the thing i didn't realize, up until, well, to be honest, up until two days ago, is that this is a sin. and it is masqueraded by the enemy telling us lies about people.
but it's not ONLY that. you see, for the enemy to have a foothold to place these thoughts about people in my head means that i OPENED the door for him to be able to.
i found myself wanting to be away from people and discounting needing friends because they IRRITATE ME. because i'm selfish. because i'm easily irritated. i let my anger get the best of me. i'm impatient. and insecure.
and all of this leads to isolation. and room for deterioration of friendships. which are E S S E N T I A L.
and this, my friends, is living opposite of the fruit of the spirits that God commands us to live by. see, when i pray to live in the fruit of the S P i R i T, and i remember the C R O S S , I desire, seek, and welcome the love, the joy, the support, the laughter, the tears, the true genuineness of friendship.
when we live not only with an army of people around us who are there, walking with us through life...
with arms there to hold you, when you can't stand...
with a smile there when you can't seem to form one yourself...
with laughter that fills your heart when it feels empty...
with words that carry kindness that couldn't possibly imagine in times of despair...
L I F E is simply better.
and...
even better. when we accept, with loving and open arms the people, no matter how different they are, that our Daddy has intricately placed in every season, on every path, through this walk of L i F E...
we are walking in His will. His desire for us. AND His desire is for us to be loved.
God gives us p e o p l e.
it our choice to make them our f r i e n d s.
and f r i e n d s, are a d r e a m. they are a j o y. they are t r e a s u r e s. they are b e a u t i f u l. they are b l e s s i n g s. they are l o v e.
this last week has taught me...just how blessed i am. how loved i am. how humbly my "people", my "army", my "girls", my "sisters in Christ", "my boo- thangs", my "girlfrands" walk in f o r g i v e n e s s. in p a t i e n c e. in L O V E.
i don't know if you people that are reading this know this, but i am difficult. i am caitlin. i am me. i am a sinner. i can be, at times: all of THESE things: quite impatient. selfish. insecure. moody. emotional. a train wreck at times. loud. messy. rude. mean. irresponsible. unforgiving.
and just as i was writing this, i can honestly tell you there is no condemnation from the D E V I L in this gal, because i am I M P E R F E C T.
but in my weakness Christ is strong. and as long as i am walking with Him, humbly, accepting His lessons, trusting and hearing His voice, and abiding in His will,
i'm doing just f i n e. better than f i n e. w o n d e r f u l.
with my K i n g by my side, no matter where i turn...i'm doing just fine. :)
my f r i e n d s. divinely placed.
full of acceptance. a shelter from the storms...(because they come.)
to encourage...(because He never promised this life would be easy all the time)
to sharpen. (because let's face it, women are incredibly smart.)
to pray. (because a praying woman can destroy the devil more than if he was in a battle with the incredible hulk, of this i am SURE.)
to bless. (and yes, when i wrote this, chocolate and flowers were the first thing that came to my mind. sue me. i am a woman. we love these things.)
to rebuke.(to those of you who are reading this and aren't a Christian, this is a fancy shmancy word for "CALL OUT." because let's face it. there are times when we need to be.)
but most importantly, friends are here to l o v e. and no, we cannot l i v e without it. or them.
in fact, we will wither away.
this week, i have come a l i v e again. in a way i could never have imagined past my wildest dreams.
blinders have fallen off, and my heart has been torn out of it's hardened shell, thanks to a few beautiful, incredible, God fearing women who have loved me with an endless, Christ like love.
and i would like to thank those women. and remind them how beautiful they are.
thank you for being different. thank you for being you. thank you for answering the call that God has placed on you. and thank you..for never, ever giving up on me.
D i S C L A i M E R: to anybody who is not a Christian, who has read this, whose heart has been stirred, convicted, or maybe broken because you have taken the people God has placed in your life for granted: remember forgiveness lies in Christ and His biggest desire is for you to enjoy life with p e o p l e. friends are biblical. and He desires for you to have them.
Greater love has no one than this, that someone lay down his life for his friends.
J O H N 15:13
Therefore encourage one another and build one another up, just as you are doing.
1 thessalonians 5:11
Oil and perfume make the heart glad, and the sweetness of a friend comes from his earnest counsel.
proverbs 27:29
That is, that we may be mutually encouraged by each other's faith, both yours and mine.
romans 1:12
MEGAN- thank you for being you. for walking so humbly in love, patience, and understanding. you are an incredible Woman of God. Jesus shines through you.
MARYCATHERINE- there is nobody like you. the Holy Spirit lives and breathes through you, the call on your life is unlike any other. you are truly beautiful. a woman of wisdom.
HALEY- your laughter makes my heart happy. you are a woman all your own, and your identity lying firmly in Christ is truly evident. you are perhaps one of the funniest, kind hearted, light hearted woman i've ever met . you are the epitome of a "take me as i come" friend, and are incredibly faithful.
ANNA- you know i have love for my northern girl. there is nobody like you in the world. you are a comfort, a smile, a brightened room and an open arms, safe haven for me. my heart feels nothing but trust and solidity in our friendship. NORTHERN aggression forever.
JINNY- the sweetest. never have i met a more dedicated, talented, humble person. plus, that girl can cook. your hugs are the best. thank you for accepting me for who i am and loving me always where i'm at. you are amazing. amazing.
there are plenty more who i am speaking to in my life. my sisters, my several other friends. you have all touched my heart and changed my life forever. i love you all. i don't tell you enough. i fail you all the time. i take you all for granted. but you are treasures. you are beautiful. and you are the GREATEST gifts Jesus could ever give me.
xoxo,
C A i T L i N
