Improvement part 2

Do you have a group of people with whom you regularly meet, who make you feel better, almost regardless of what's going on in your life? A group of people who ask you the hard questions, are always there with ready love, and walk through life's ups and downs with you?

I do, and I feel very blessed about that. 

Tim and I attend a Bible study on Friday nights filled with the most wonderful people! We always meet for a potluck dinner, chat for a long time, then finally get started on our study. That in itself would be worth attending. Our conversations rarely stick with the initial question posed, but we delve deep into one another's lives, talking about all kinds of things. And all this intense conversation is framed with love, humor and honesty about ourselves. I think we all try to be as transparent as possible.

This group of wonderful people, this expected positive interaction is the other reason I woke up Saturday feeling less sad about my sister and her family leaving. 

I cried a good bit of the drive from my house to Bible study last Friday, and when I arrived, I sat in my car for a minute or two trying to decide how I was going to be. Would I let those tears go if they started to fall, or would I put up my defenses and hold back? Vulnerable and wimpy feeling or stoic and fake feeling? I couldn't decide, so I just went in and decided to go with the flow. 

Of course, someone almost immediately asked me how I was, casually, you know, "How are you tonight?" 

"I'm all right," I replied. 

Vince looked at me with a slightly sad look and patted my shoulder. Just a few minutes later, though, he came back. 

"What would it take for you to be great tonight?" Ah, the love of these people! How kind, how tender, how loving of him to ask that second question, to not just let it go. 

Friday night was a balm to my soul, and I'm so thankful for it - for these people who love me just as I am, and allow me to love them back!