Introspective

Well, it's been a long couple of weeks at the Stuehlmeyer house. For one thing, I live with a bunch of sicko's who can't seem to get healthy! That means little sleep, runny noses, crabby people, coughing, and finally...medicine. I think they're finally on the road to recovery (the runny noses are finally not green!). And, since we've not left the house much...I think. I mean literally, I think about stuff more than normal.

We've been doing lots of thinking and praying and spending time as just the 3 of us. We're trying to figure out the balance between work & home, friends, extended family, close family, and the 3 (+2) of us. Life gets messy as we begin to deal with our issues and as we start prioritizing. As it turns out, you can't do everything, you can't be everything, and you certainly can't do it all well if you're ridiculous enough to attempt it. (Sadly, I am ridiculous enough to attempt it...a lot.) What I can say about this week is that I'm really thankful for old friends. Sometimes it's nice to have a conversation with someone who has already walked a long path with you & you don't have to explain all the details and explain yourself. They already get you and sort of understand your mindset & why you do what you do. There are always those people who you just click with and when they're old friends it's fabulous because you always click no matter how close or far away or how much time you spend apart. I love that type of friendship. I have several in my life and I love them dearly. I rejoice when they rejoice and hurt when they hurt.

Don't get me wrong...I like new friends too. People who don't know all the crap you've done and you don't have to tell them! You can be who are now and don't have to fit into the little box they've put you in because they haven't known you long enough to put you in a box yet! That's freeing.

I guess what I love the most is the grace that you get from both types of friendship. Old friends love you despite your crap and give you grace. New friends give you grace because they don't know your crap yet.

The trick right now for me is realizing that my relationship with Jesus should be old friend and new friend. To know that I can crawl up in His lap and not have to explain all the past hurts and junk and He just gets me. Also, to know that He gives me grace because He doesn't know all my past sins. Seriously, they're gone. As far as the east is from the west, right (Ps 103:12)? Grace rocks.