Whenever I get together with friends we always go to the beach. It’s a great place to get our tan on, chick chat, and judge, I mean—people watch.
I love going to the beach with my BFF, Amy Marie.
I met her through our mutual friend Amy (yeah, that’s not confusing at all!) years ago. We’re talking more than 10 years ago. It wasn’t until our mutual friends either got married or moved away that we really became close friends.
I think it’s amazing how God puts two people together at their worst times to encourage each other.
That’s Amy.
She knows all the pain and hurt I went through last year with my job change, writing a book, and panic attacks. She knows that I don’t hold anything back. I share easily…too easily for my own good…
One night we went to the movies to see our boy Leo, and Amy told me she needed to talk.
I froze.
At first, I thought she wanted to talk about me. I wasn’t sure if she was going to judge me and tell me what a horrible friend I am.
I had no idea what she wanted to talk about.
Like good little bad-girls we ordered two Blizzards from Dairy Queen and walked down to the pier. We stopped and looked over the rail with Blizzards running down our hands and I was hit with this wall of silence. I was waiting for her to let go of her warning signs.
I know not everyone is like me. Amy needs time to share and think about what she’s going to say. So I waited.
The mellow sound of the waves mixed with a sweet treat in my tummy did not quite prepare me ….for….
stories of betrayal.
The hurtful words that came gushing out of her mouth until 3 AM in the morning…
Oh.
My.
Gosh.
This girl. This pretty girl that I was getting to know…my BFF in the making was so broken.
“I’m afraid if I tell you what I’ve really done—you’ll judge me…you’re the only one who knows what I’ve done.”
Amy knows I’ve been broken up with by two of my best girl friends very recently. One texted me that she was “done with me” and the other deleted me from Facebook, but not before sending me a nasty message. Amy knows she knows that she can tell me anything.
It was all I could do to super glue myself on the bench overlooking the ocean that night.
I wanted to give advice. Judge (the situation), and help her fix her boy troubles. But, that’s not what a BFF does. I reassured Amy that no matter what she shares…
I.
Will.
Be.
Here.
It was that night on the beach, us dangling our feet from the bench that
she let me in.
She decided she had had enough of hiding. She needed to confess. Be healed. We’re not meant to hold in all that hurt. And I had no idea until she told me. Once I had the whole truth our relationship changed.
We grew closer.
This summer, Amy Marie and I have shared a couple firsts. She bought me my first San Diego Fair pass. We celebrated my birthday by going to see Switchfoot and One Republic with me.
I returned the favor by encouraging her as best as a BFF knows how. I even helped her clean out her room and sort through her mounds and mounds and mounds and mounds and mounds of clothes (I never knew a girl who named their clothes) when she had her first major surgery.
No matter what we share with each other I know I have a BFF looking out for me, praying for me, and wanting the best for me. That’s all I could ask for.
My BFF.
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Oh this makes me miss my BFF! What a great story Renee! Thanks for reminding me that it is always worth the risk to be real. Either you ‘lose’ a so called friend, or you gain a soul sister for life.
The magic of a close friendship is a beautiful thing. And the timing of this post is incredible. Just last night, a friend (a new friend of only a few months) came over, after telling me she needed to talk, and spilled her heart. I feel so privileged that she trusts me enough to share such intimate and painful details of her life. And I feel blessed that God has placed her in my life.
@Stacey – Thanks for sharing. I’m so glad I reminded you of your BFF and being real 🙂
@Nickie – I’m so glad to hear. What a blessing and isn’t it AMAZING when we can be there for our bff’s???
Oh, sweetie, I’m so sorry about your other two “friends.” Things like this puzzle me. I cannot imagine a friend doing this, I guess, because I wouldn’t. What a blessing to have a BFF like Amy! 😀
And to have a BFF like you! {{{hugs}}}
Great post- helps me to remember the community we are so designed for and importance of our very best girlfriends and their places in our lives. Sometimes we have to sift through a few til we get to the ones that “stick closer than a brother” (sister?) but the bonds we make with those we share our heart with are forever etched in our souls. Aren’t BFF’s just wonderful?
It seems you are exactly the kind of friend God wants us to be. You model His I’ll-never-leave-you kind of love beautifully.
Thank you for this!
Community and sharing is what we were designed for. Thank you for reminder to be real is healing and best. I use to be a lot like your friend and NOT share until I was overwhelmed. Now I share pretty easily with trusted people.
Renee, wow, Amy is a blessed girl indeed to have you for a BFF. I’ve got friends like you–the “stick by you no matter what” kind–and they make all the difference. Your post made me want to hug them right now!! Thanks for sharing this beautiful story and for reminding us what is really means to have and BE a true friend.
I have a BFF like this. I can talk to her about anything. Same with her. We know our hearts and if we need to share something, we know that the trust is there 100%. So thankful for God’s provision in this area of our lives!
What a beautiful story, Renee. Thank you for sharing it. And it totally stinks that you had two friends dump you. I’ve had that happen, too, and the hurt just doesn’t seem to go away.
@Lynn – Thanks for your encouraging words. I am blessed to have a BFF like Amy. I’m giving you a [[[{[[[[[HUG]]]}}}}} back 🙂
@ Beth – Community is right! Thanks for sharing and yes, BFF’s are wonderful!!!
@Kristen – Thanks for your encouragement and you’re welcome 🙂
@Katie – You’re welcome! I’m so glad you’re learning to share and trust others easily. This is the key to great relationships (not to mention good communication as well)!”
@Holley – Thanks so much for allowing me the pleasure to share. I do have to give credit to my BFF Christy Polek for taking the pictures with me at the beach. I used them in this piece because they fit so perfectly.
@Mimi – I’m so glad you do!
@Mary – You’re very welcome. And thanks for the encouragement…
my new favorite verse is from zephaniah 3:17. i just discovered it. for years and years it’s been jeremiah 29:11.
I wanna say something,especially if I read a post that really grabs my attention. However,
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