Gift of Wendy

I’ve been so blessed by a variety of dear friends. I enjoy wonderful relationships built on trust and unconditional love.  

But there was that one time…

A flash of brilliance, a gentle stirring of hearts joining.

A time when God parted the curtain between heaven and earth, and He

graciously hand delivered to me an undeniable and most precious gift.

That gift was a person. Her name was Wendy. She actually embodied two gifts. Herself, and her amazing friendship.  

Our time together this side of heaven was cut short. I feel like a part of me is missing. I want to say… “Wait! Not yet!” There is so much more that I longed to share and explore and learn with her after she recovered.

But Jesus knew it was time for her to be with Him in a glorious unending face to face encounter. The perfect, ultimate recovery. She is whole and no longer limited in any way. And she is experiencing joy unspeakable in full that she had an incredible glimpse of here in her last months.

We had 13 incredible years here together. A drop of time against eternity where I will join her for one of many heavenly reunions.

We met in 2012 when she began coming to my small group at church. We had an instant fondness of each other, but somewhere along the way that took a crazy dive from I-think-highly-of-you-I’d-like-to-get-to-know-you-better to a level of friendship I’d never experienced before. Soul-deep. A treasure I never sought, but it was so freely given by God. I hold it fast. I cherish it, always.

Unexpected and unplanned, this relationship held a depth of connection that continually astounded me.

We were so different. Me: quiet, studious, and living life afraid. Wendy: friendly, engaging, and living life seeking answers and working through incredible hardship to keep seeking answers. She possessed a tenacity that increased over the years. A commitment to not give up until she learned all God had to reveal to her. On the other hand, I tried to push through, but really, I wanted to run and hide from anything hard.

Very different. Personalities, Struggles, Reactions, Responses.

Yet, God took our differences and melded them together so that we personified iron sharpening iron (Prov 27:17). The iron Wendy sharpened for me still lives in my heart and reminds me of her. I treasure that.

I felt so safe with her. I knew that what we shared was more than a nice and sweet friendship. Sure, we had some fun times and we definitely enjoyed each other’s company. But that was just the smallest part. It was a unique, supernatural relationship orchestrated by God.

She had this uncanny and miraculous knack for knowing me and even affirming what I didn’t know about myself. She could see me. Like, really, totally, every detail, the good, the bad, all of it. She chose to take the time to really look, and she did that often. But more than that, God gave her His eyes to use. 

She was an encourager. In my stumbling messy sometimes seemingly non-existent life learning curve, she saw potential and progress.  Our views of my reality were so different. I needed her different view, and she offered it freely and lovingly.

She was so caring and mindful of others. Baking cookies was her love language that she shared often with many. I was happy to eat her yummy cookies!

She showed up with fruit and snacks and magazines to sit in the waiting room with my dad in 2019 when I had emergency surgery at 3am on a Sunday. Dad mentioned that many times and always told me she was his favorite of my friends. :)

She somehow knew when a friend had a need without being informed, and she would show up in a variety of ways at the perfect time. She followed Holy Spirit nudges to reach out and I was a grateful recipient along with others.

I had no idea that Sunday when we met in 2012 that God was laying the framework for something so extraordinary… a relationship that was unique and one of a kind, because God saw to it.

I love you my dear wonderful God chosen friend, and I look forward to seeing you when I see Jesus. In the meantime, I know my dad is so thrilled that you are there in eternity and I'm sure he was so happy to introduce you to my mom and my sisters. Give them all a kiss and a hug for me.  

Every time I think of you, from now until forevermore…

I thank my God. (from Phil 1:3)