Friendship and Sisterhood

The past several days, I enjoyed a richness of sisterhood I’ve encountered little since moving away from my dearest friends in my beloved Texas. The precious occasions to bond with my sisters in Christ over the past week stemmed from a Christmas party, a coffee date, and a write-in.

Christmas Shindig

Our church provides several opportunities to get plugged in with other believers. Bible studies run loosely tied to school schedules, with each semester providing a deeper dive into a different book. Another connection point is through social groups. One of the social groups I belong to is simply called “The Ladies,” which puts on fun monthly events. My favorite type of events are intimate gatherings of a handful of ladies, but I stepped out of my comfort zone to attend the Christmas Party for The Ladies, which boasted an attendance of around 30. I even invited a friend who doesn’t attend our church, and I am so happy she joined us. The women at the party, many of whom I did not yet know, were warm and welcoming. The celebration consisted of a fun Christmas attire fashion show and contest, an abundance of tasty treats, an ornament exchange, and plenty of conversation and laughter. The delightful evening of fellowship facilitated the deepening of existing friendships and the making of new acquaintances. There’s just something about a roomful of lovely ladies laughing and talking that is good for a woman’s soul.

Coffee Talk

The Bible study I joined this fall ended for the holidays this past week, and we celebrated together at a funky new coffee shop in our darling little downtown area. Though not everyone could make the final gathering, those of us who did relished the time looking back over our months together, encouraged by the growth of all of us as we walked through John. I have grown to love these women as sisters, and I hope and pray each one will return for our study of Hebrews next semester. Witnessing women open up to share authentically and be vulnerable is a joy, and the freedom found in doing so blesses each of us. To know and be known is the hallmark of genuine community, and we all grow deeper in our relationships with Christ and one another when we strive toward that.

Pen Pals

I’ve sung the praises of my writing community many times, so this one should come as no surprise. During one of our recent write-ins, a couple of our members shared some difficult life things they are currently going through. The burden of slogging through “the most wonderful time of the year” while grieving can be overwhelming. These ladies bravely shared their struggles, and we prayed over them. Our time together before we dove into individual writing projects was filled with sweetness, tears, and gentle laughter. When women who love the Lord and one another open their hearts, amazing things can happen. Obedience to live out the one anothers of scripture by loving, caring for, encouraging, bearing with, praying for, and comforting one another fortifies everyone involved.

When we initially moved to Georgia, I felt compelled to try to recreate here what we had in Texas. But over time, God has taught me that I cannot replicate our Texas life here but must instead create a new Georgia life. Letting go of my attempts to imitate our old life set me free from disappointment and resentment and allowed the space in my heart for a new normal. And in doing so, I am being blessed with new sisters to walk through life with. And for that, I could not be more grateful.

Where do you find your community and what is it like? Share a time when you’ve had to deal with a life change that disrupted your community. How have you gone about finding new community when warranted?