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It was mid-January in mid-Michigan when only the hardy will
survive. We've all been weather tested over the years so a few more
inches of snow never stopped us from getting together for our monthly
girl's dinner.
Though we've had a somewhat mild winter so far, it seems
January was trying to make up for the lack of snow in December! We arrived at
Hunan Gardens on the west side of Kalamazoo, so that I, Elisabeth, didn't
have quite as far to travel from the lake shore. The 40-mile jaunt down
M-43 can be somewhat harrowing in the winter, and especially at night.
Luckily, for this visit I was staying with a friend in Kalamazoo, and did not have to travel back home in the snowy darkness!
Hot tea, a
warm atmosphere, hugs and smiles greeted us as we settled in for a tasty
meal at Hunan Gardens. The menu was a menagerie of wonderful Asian
dishes with all the normal fixings, rice, wanton, egg rolls, and of
course some hot tea! The smell of all the spices was fabulous and made
our mouths water as we checked out the menu. I, for one, was sneaking a
peek at the dishes being delivered to the table next to us. Yummy!
We
missed our friend Sarah tonight, who is getting ready for a big trip to
celebrate her mother-in-law's 100th birthday! Wow, what a milestone
for this woman and to have her entire family help her celebrate with
her! Our sister, Ruth, is still in sunny warm Florida helping out her
parents. What a blessing for so many of us to still have our parents in
our lives, and to be able to give back what they have provided to us
throughout our lives. Perhaps we don't always see it as a blessing, as
our parents age and require more of our time and energy, but we all
continue to pray for patience, perseverance, and being able to honor our parents in a Godly way.
Even though some of
us don't get to see each other so often anymore, as the physical
distance between us has grown a bit, we still seem to pick up right
where we left off the last time. Kids and grandkids are the biggest
topics of conversation, as we all share stories of our families,
challenges and struggles along with joys and praises. How difficult it
still is to let go of the worry, even as we now all have grown
children. As much as we want them to make their own decisions (and
mistakes), it's hard to sit back and watch sometimes. We trust God to
guide them and keep them safe, but in our humanness, it can be hard to
let go. Conversation drifted into vacation plans, happenings at church,
and of course the weather!
I mentioned
earlier about us all being "weather-tested", by Michigan winters. I
thought about how that applies not only to the weather, but also to our
faith. We've all had the ups and downs of plenty and want, joys and
sorrows, confidence and fears. Sometimes our faith does waver, as we are tested by things of the world. But it seems the longer we continue
to hold fast in our faith, and look to the Lord first and foremost, our
faith can withstand those tests of time (or weather!).
I know this
because I've witnessed it with this group of women. We are not perfect,
nor are our families, but we look to each other for strength and
guidance, with no judgement or bias. It's such a blessing to be able
to share our "tests of faith" with our sisters in Christ, and know that
at any time of the day or night, they are there, prepared to pray,
prepared to respond, prepared to be by our side. Everyday I thank God
for these women, and the bond that we have formed together. May God
continue to richly bless this special group of women that I am honored
to call my BFFs!
Stay warm everyone!
Until we meet again,
Elisabeth (writing this from sunny Alabama!)
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