Make new friends, but keep the old...

Some of you remember this old school Girl Scouts song. I was a proud scout for a few years...and this song is the thing I most remember, "Make new friends, but keep the old...one is silver, and the other gold."

For some reason I thought of this song on my drive home from Spartanburg last night. As I got in the car to drive back to Charleston, I got really sad. I was so thankful for my time in the Burg that I didn't want to leave. The Lord had really given me some good friends and good times there...that season of my life was one of great contentment. I enjoyed being able to spend time at home, hanging out with Sullivan, cooking, etc. I think the challenge of leaving yesterday was three-fold. One. I spent time with my favorite Spartanburg friends (the Hansens, the Lightcaps, the Wests, the Palmers, the Shelton) at the oyster roast. Two. I was so busy with moving and family things that I never really had time to process leaving Spartanburg. Three. While Charleston has not been bad at all so far, I fear that it will be. My first year in Columbia was rough to say the least and I fear that this transition period might be the same.

I've been studying God's graciousness the past few days and He definitely showed me grace upon grace upon grace last night. As soon as I got in the car, I called a dear friend that listened and loved me AND invited me to supper in Columbia. I took her up on her offer and stopped by my beloved First Pres in time to hear the last half of the sermon. It was on my favorite verse in Romans. Romans 8:15, "For you did not receive a spirit of slaver to fall back into fear, but you received a spirit of adoption by whom we cry, 'Abba! Father.'"

I love listening to Sinclair Ferguson preach. The thing that stuck out to me most was: This cry should not be, "Abba. Father." For the Christian, this cry should be, "ABBA! FATHER!" This is a loud cry, a cry of distress, a cry of need. You need this when life is hard, a mess, dark, in time of crisis. In these times, ask the Lord to come to your aid. And He will!" I just needed to hear it and the Lord knew it. Then I saw two of my dear friends, Margaret and Marshall, from Columbia and was able to cry on their shoulders and be myself and listen to them tell me truth. So good! These two older ladies have so much wisdom and love.

THEN I got to eat a delicious meal at Jenn and Nicole's. The food was excellent and the company delightful...the two of them and a newer buddy, Jonathan. Overall, it was just good for my heart to be with them. I forced myself to leave around 9:10 and listened to a Beth Moore talk on Esther in the car. Courtney gave me the talk before I left, and again, the Lord knew what I needed to hear. It was all about being courageous and strong and taking chances for the Lord -- saying NO to the things we fear and instead trusting where the Lord will lead us. When hard things happen to us...if the worst thing in the world happened to us, so what? We'd be drawn closer to the Lord because we would be utterly dependent on Him.

And it is exciting to see where the Lord will lead me and how He will use me and what He will teach me here in Charleston. There is much to be excited about! In time, finding a new church, making new friends, learning new things about the Lord and myself. Once again, and as always, He took care of me in very real and tangible ways last night and I'm so grateful. I made it home just after 11. Needless to say, I'm pretty tired this morning. But it was well worth it!