The luxury of friendship

4:11 p.m. Today's project was to join my friend Theresa, a regular member of our summer women's home Bible study (pictured above) for her farewell lunch at Mimi's. Theresa and her husband Robert are moving to Idaho where most of her family resides. Can't say I blame them, because Idaho is stunning, and like Cheyenne, Wyoming where we own a rental home, the blue skies go on forever! "God's Country" is what the natives call the states "out west!"

It was a definite luxury for me to join the two tables of friends today at Mimi's, a luxury financially, but more significantly, a luxury of time. My soul needed the free hours to laugh and enjoy my Bible study friends whom I fear I've been neglecting by leaving quickly after we  leaders, including Theresa, pray for women who come forward with requests.  Steve's care giving insurance dollars need to be used sparingly, and God has given me a stewardship over the funds. But I couldn't miss this luncheon!

Theresa has had serious trials with her work-related injury, and inspired us all by the faith-filled way she handled each frustrating step in the settlement process. she and her sster Kathy had also to deal with their father's terminal illness and death during that same time. As we shared our prayer requests each week, it was evident that she had taken the needs of each woman to heart by the way she mentioned details of our situations, and asked after our children and husbands by name. Our hostess Malinda (Theresa's best friend) and a couple of other sisters are praying with me as to our start date for our  II Samuel study this year already. Theresa's sweet spirit and transparent sharing will be sorely missed!

The Lord has brought special women with gifts both practical and spiritual to walk along with me in our trial of a lifetime, Steve's dementia. Some bring gifts of encouragement and others demonstrate their love with shared interests, like gardening or other home arts, such as we feature in the Heart to Home ministry. Theresa joined some of our classes, adding to the fun, and became a Piecemaker in the last few years, joyful despite her pain.

As a Christian woman, Theresa exemplified the prayer of Paul in Philippians 1:9:

And this I pray, that your love may abound still more and more in knowledge and all discernment, that you may approve the things that are excellent, that you may be sincere and without offense till the day of Christ, being filled with the fruits of righteousness which are by Jesus Christ, to the glory and praise of God.

I'll miss you, Theresa!