From the beginning until the end

It’s Natalie’s 25^th Birthday today, so I decided to take a trip down memory lane.

Natalie at the London Aquarium on my 23rd birthday 

Natalie and I have known each other for years, yet I can’t actually pinpoint how we become friends. We met at the age of 14/15 at a summer theatre club, we attended the same sixth form college and even went to the same university. However it was in our final year of university that Natalie became more than just a long-time friend, she became a sister.

OK, quick story!

So Natalie and I started at Brunel University in 2007, I remember us squashing up in my parents’ car with all our luggage and making our way to our halls of residence. Though we were studying for different degrees, Natalie and I both had the same university plan - 3 years in university and a 1 year work placement between our 2nd and 3^rd year of studies. This meant we would both start and finish together.

That was the plan, but this is what really happened; Natalie did the first 2 years as normal and then went on to do her placement year, after her placement she took a gap year to work and then came back for her final year in 2011. Her situation meant that she wouldn’t have graduated with me, however my university plans changed too. Like Natalie I did my first 2 years as normal and then took a gap year to do missionary work, I still wanted to do an internship so after my gap year I did my placement and went back to university for my final year in 2011. Looking back I definitely believe God’s hand brought us together for our final year as situations should have lead us to finish university at different times.

Natalie and I during our first week of university

Final year was definitely a turning point in our friendship, we had somewhat drifted apart during our 1^st and 2^nd year but came back together strong. We supported each other during the most difficult times as we battled through the stresses of dissertations, coursework and exams while dealing with other things in our personal lives.  We spent most of that year in between each other’s halls; If Natalie wasn’t staying at my place I would be staying at hers.  We used to always say “Tonight, we’re definitely going to have an early night, wake up at 6am and get to the library for when it opens at 8am”; we tried so hard to keep to that but it never happened because as soon as we got into bed we would always end up talking most of the night! Our friendship during that year taught me how powerful it is, as a friend, to just be there.  Even now as I write this I am smiling about all the precious moments we have shared together.

Natalie, you have been more than a friend to me, even a sister. Your love and commitment to God really inspires me; I’ll never forget when deadlines were piling up and you were under extreme amounts of pressure yet you never neglected prayer, reading your bible or going to church. I’m thankful for your life - your determination, your loving kindness and your vibrant nature made such a rocky journey smooth. Keep pressing on Natalie, stay true to God as he has such wonderful things prepared for you. You have been a true friend from the beginning and I pray we may continue on this journey together until the end.

 

Happy Birthday Natalie

 

Natalie and I on our mini holiday celebrating the end of university :)

 

"And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose."

Romans 8:28
 

 

Love, your girl forever,

 ♥ Miss Daisy  ♥

How are you doing spiritually?

At the beginning of the year I was catching up with my good friend Hannah. We were messaging each other back and forth as it had been a very long time since we last spoke. At the end of one of her messages she asked me the question “How are you doing spiritually?”

What? Is that even a question that can be asked? I have never been asked such a straight question regarding my walk with God however I admired the directness of the question. This question awakened a lot of trust and transparency and I began to relate to Hannah, quite candidly, experiences from the past year (2013).I was open about my hopes, my fears, my struggles and my victories and in return she openly shared her experience. It’s very interesting because some of the things she expressed I could definitely relate to, and I was very encouraged as I often used to think that I was the only one who thought a certain way or went through a certain thing,  but I was able to see that there are others who go through similar things too. Our conversation definitely dispelled any myths or preconceived ideas we had about each other and we both committed to praying for each other.

During that week I began to think about our conversation and the question she asked. It made me think – How often do I ask my friends about their walk with God? Their temporal/physical well being is definitely important, hence why I ask “how are you doing?” “How is work going”? “Did you manage to pay that thing off?” “Have you settled into your new house yet?” etc. How much more important is their spiritual well being? Should I not be just as concerned? So that week I decided that I am going to make a habit of enquiring about the spiritual well being of my friends and family at appointed opportunities.

It’s very important to me as I've realised that we as human being often operate on a “don’t ask, don’t tell” basis. If Hannah never asked me that direct question about my spiritual life it’s more than likely that I wouldn't have said anything even if she asked “How’s your life going or how are you generally?”  It’s very important to me as I remember a few years back I wasn't doing too good spiritually, I was making a load of bad decisions and pretty much weaving a tangled web for myself. I remember feeling like I couldn't speak to anybody; I thought to myself no one will understand, who can really relate? At that time it felt like everyone around me was going from strength to strength on their Christian journey and I was scared to approach anyone as I felt that maybe they would judge me and say “How can you be thinking/feeling this way?” “How could you let this happen, you should have known better!” so in my mind it felt easier to just put on a pretence and act like everything was OK. Obviously it’s very unlikely that any of my friends or family would have acted in this way, but those were some of the barriers that kept me from speaking to anybody or seeking encouragement during that time. However I do wonder, if I was asked back then the question “how are you doing spiritually?” would I have had the courage to answer that question and ask for prayer and guidance? Is that what it would have taken, just someone to simply ask?

When it comes to our friends and family, obviously everyone’s walk with God is personal to themselves and God is their strength and helper in all things. However we can do our part as friends and take notice and care for their spiritual well being, pray for specific things in their life and encourage them through our conversations with them and through sharing scripture.

So today, if you are reading this, I encourage you to take the time when conversing with friends and family to enquire about their spiritual well being. Ask them “how are you doing spiritually?”, “How is your Christian journey going?” etc. It may come as a shock to some people as it is something that is rarely asked, but I can tell you from my own experience, the question was much appreciated, it meant a lot to me and made quite an impact.

"Confess your faults one to another, and pray one for another, that ye may be healed. The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much." 

James 5:16

Love, your girl forever,

♥ Miss Daisy ♥