Faith Knitted Living

Last night my daughter and I were on the phone and I asked what she was doing. She said she and her friend were cooking dinner. I could hear their beaus in the background and it made my heart smile and ache at the same time. It made me remember Friday nights of the past. Not the wild crazy ones (yes, I have a Joyce before Jesus), but the ones where I would gather with friends over food and laughter.

Growing up, it was cards at grandma’s house with family. In my teens it was my best friend’s house. In my early twenties it was my house. Late 20s were kinda twisted up in a lot of mess. In my early 30s it was my best friend or my house. Fridays were for pizza, dancing in the garage and listening to the kids play.

Then everyone started moving. Then it was time with my sister. Then I moved again. Finding that kind of connection in your late 30s when your life is super messy is kinda rough. Sure I’ve made friendships!! I’ve got an amazing group of prayer warriors that I call sisters in Christ!! We connect when we’re able!! And it’s always a great time!! I do not take these relationships lightly at all and we are all aware everyone is in very different seasons of life right now.

Now in my mid 40s I’m grateful for my younger communities and my heart longs for that again. Where Friday nights were sacred, and barring family emergency, nothing got scheduled during that time. Even if any of us had to work late, we always made that time and space for each other. Doing life together.

I often wonder if it’s because usually we lived in the same neighborhoods. I sometimes wonder if it’s just the way life goes. Have we become so jaded and so guarded that we just don’t do life together? Has life gotten so busy that we just don’t make space for Friday nights? Is it possible that once those younger year connections fade, you don’t get to make do life together connections?

I pray that each of us find our Friday night community. To do life together. We are all better together. I pray that community and relationship becomes something we prioritize, right after our relationship with God.