snippet

So yesterday I was finishing a chapter in the book, Captivating (see February 6th's blog) and the last 3 pages were just gold! I wanted to copy each page out - but my hand was already getting a cramp so I decided against it.
The general gist was talking about women in relationships with other women and the different things that we go through in our friendships with women and how valueable and essential these deep friendships are.
Here are some mind-blowing passages to mull over:

Little girls have best friends. Grown women long for them. To have a woman friend is to relax into another soul and be welcomed in all that you are and all that you are not. To know that as a woman, you are not alone.
When God gives a friend, he is entrusting us with the care of another's heart. It is a chance to mother and to sister, to be a Life giver, to help someone else become the woman she was created to be, to walk alongside her and call her deep heart forth.
Friendships need to be nurtured and guarded and fought for. We need to call one another without waiting to be called first. We need to ask how our friends are are doing and really listen to their answers. Listen between the lines. We love our friends by pursuing them - calls, little presents, cards, invitations to play, to go fora walk, to go to a movie. We offer our hearts.
And let me say clearly, true friendship is opposed.
One woman often feels less important to the other, or accused or needy or misunderstood. Honest communication in love is the only way to live and grow in friendships. There are ebbs and flows. There may be too much dependance. There may be real hurt and disappointment. In fact, it's inevitable in our broken world. But with the grace of God firmly holding us, reminding us that he is the source of our true happiness, it is possible to nurture and sustain deep friendships throughout our lives. We are not made to live our lives alone. We are designed to live in relationship and share in the lives of other women. We need each other. God knows that. He will help us. We have only to ask and surrender, to wait, to hope, and in faith to love. We must also repent.
For a woman to enjoy relationship, she must repent of her need to control and her insistence that people fill her. Fallen Eve demands that people "come through" for her. Redeemed Eve is being met in the depths of her soul by Christ and is free to offer to others, free to desire, and willing to be disappointed. Fallen Eve has been wounded by others and withdraws in order to protect herself from further harm. Redeemed Eve knows that she has something of value to offer; that she is made for relationship. Therefore, being safe and secure in her relationship with her Lord, she can risk being vulnerable with others and offer her true self.

Wow. I love that last passage.
Lord continue your redeeming work in my life that I may be able to offer to others and be willing to be disappointed.
What a glorious God we serve!

Oops. I found this awesome passage that I just have to post. I don't know how many of you have made it this far, but continue - it's awesome!

God invites us to risk trusting him and enter into redemptive friendships with others - to open ourselves up to the possibility of being hurt as well as the possibility of tasting the sweet fruit of companionship. Yet, no matter how wonderful a taste of relational fullness you have, you will want more. If you had an amazing connection yesterday with someone, when you wake this morning, you will want it again. Eve possesses a bottomless well of longing. Jesus alone is the never-ending fount, which can *slake her thirst. No other source, no other relationship will fully satisfy. God made us that way. On purpose.

WOW! Now, isn't God amazing?!?! Isn't he soooo good to us?!? *SIGH of awe*


*slake:
To satisfy (a craving); quench